Karachi witnesses surge in street crime, reports 5,960 incidents in August

Karachi has witnessed a surge in street crime, with 5,960 incidents reported in August alone, ARY News reported.

According to a report by the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC), 23 cars were also stolen at gunpoint, and a total of 150 vehicles were reported stolen in August.

The report also highlights that motorcycles are a common target, with 656 stolen and 3,385 reportedly taken from various parts of the city this year so far.

Additionally, 1,737 mobile phones were snatched from citizens, and there were reports of 3 kidnapping-for-ransom incidents and 6 extortion cases.

Earlier, Karachi police reported a dramatic increase in street crimes, with more than 44,000 incidents recorded in the first seven months of 2024. The majority of these crimes involved motorcycle theft.

At the beginning of this period, 31,000 motorcycles were reported stolen, making them the most common target.

Additionally, over 11,800 mobile phones were stolen, and approximately 1,200 cars were taken from citizens. This surge in crime has heightened insecurity among residents, with a notably low recovery rate for stolen items.

The Dawn also reported an increase in incidents of street robberies and muggings in Karachi, particularly in densely populated areas and commercial districts where the risk of theft is higher.

On April 2, The Express Tribune reported that Karachi faces a severe problem of increasing street crime, with recent incidents contributing to a growing sense of lawlessness among the city’s residents.

Incidents of street crime in Karachi are frequently captured on CCTV and often go viral.

The report also noted that the rise in street crime has led to fatalities, with 23 individuals having lost their lives in robbery-related incidents during January and February of this year alone.