Sindh Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho speaking to the media PHOTO: SCREEN RECORDING/EXPRESS
KARACHI:
Sindh Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho said on Friday that police carried out 113 encounters over the past month, killing 27 robbers, injuring 82 others and arresting 123 suspects, including those who surrendered voluntarily.
Speaking to the media, Odho said the Katcha belt had long posed a major challenge, with the rise in kidnappings for ransom, honey trapping and organized armed crime.
He said the ongoing operation against robbers in katcha areas would continue until criminal networks were dismantled and state power was fully restored.
He said criminal groups lured victims through false sales offers or by using women’s voices to trap people before kidnapping them. People from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Punjab were also attacked and taken to the riverine areas, he added.
Odho said the gangs had occupied state lands, using them as operational bases, while the ransom money was used to purchase weapons.
“Before they only had AK-47 rifles, but later they acquired weapons of war. In some cases, they were better equipped than police personnel and even had ammunition capable of penetrating armored vehicles,” he said. He added that the groups openly challenged state authority through video statements and threats against police officers.
Read: Key thieves surrender during Operation Katcha
“Our effort was to give the bandits an appropriate response, either by eliminating them or forcing them to surrender,” he said, adding that government support had strengthened police operations.
“Our effort was to give the bandits an appropriate response, either by eliminating them or forcing them to surrender,” he said, adding that government support had strengthened police operations.
He said 15 abductees from different economic backgrounds had been recovered, some of whom had been held captive for up to three years in inhumane conditions.
Odho said many suspects were trying to establish contact with authorities. “In most cases, fear and pressure factors have emerged. Many thieves are approaching and want to surrender to the law,” he said.
He added that while some had shown a willingness to lay down their arms, others remained defiant. “Those who surrender will receive justice, while those who refuse will be dealt with firmly,” he said.
The IGP said policing was inherently complex and errors could occur, whether intentional or not.
He stressed that officers could not be dismissed simply because of pressure linked to demonstrations or protests. “If the allegations are proven, strict action will be taken,” he added.
Odho said some hostages remained in the robbers’ custody, but their exact number was not certain. “Even now, there may still be three or four hostages, but the situation will be clear once the operation is completed,” he said.
He added that both the number of hostages and robbers had decreased. “Either they will surrender or we will deal with them firmly,” Odho said.
The IGP said the police had reached areas that were previously inaccessible. “It will no longer be the case that any area remains a ‘no-go zone’,” he said, calling the decline in criminal activity in the katcha belt a “moral victory” for the police.
“God willing, the old reputation of katcha will be restored and people will come to see the area for themselves,” he added.
Read more: 38 robbers surrender in Kashmore and Sukkur
He confirmed that a notice had been issued to the Hyderabad Senior Superintendent of Police in connection with a case involving journalists in interior Sindh, and that an investigation was being carried out by the Deputy Inspector General of Hyderabad.
Speaking on the role of media, Odho said the performance of police, particularly in Karachi and katcha areas, had not been fully reflected in the coverage. “Media support is essential. The fight against crime cannot achieve results without media cooperation,” he said, inviting journalists to visit operational areas.
Describing the tri-border region where Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan meet, Odho said it was very sensitive due to movement of arms.
In collaboration with intelligence agencies and the federal government, the police are trying to stop the entry of heavy weapons, he added. “We have information on who owns heavy weapons. We will recover them, clear the area of lethal weapons and ultimately make it weapons-free,” he said.
Odho said coordination with other forces had improved significantly, citing joint operations with Punjab police and rangers.
He said institutional linkages would further strengthen cooperation, adding that while operations were focused on the katcha belt, routine policing continued elsewhere.
Infrastructure development, including bridges in Kashmore and Ghotki, would improve access and help policing, along with plans for schools and welfare services in riverside settlements, Odho said.
The inspector general said a dedicated katcha force would be reactivated to police the roughly 400-kilometer stretch, backed by aerial surveillance and interprovincial coordination.
