Police arrest scrap dealer in Karachi Safe City’s distribution box theft

Police have arrested a fugitive suspect in offense of the theft of a distribution box from the Karachi Safe City Project near Bilawal House in Clifton. The stolen box, taken from a pole on November 6, has since been recovered, and a scrap dealer allegedly involved in the crime has also been detained, police confirmed. 

According to officials, three suspects had already been arrested in the case prior to this latest arrest. 

The missing distribution box contained equipment critical for the Safe City cameras, and its theft forced authorities to disable the cameras in the area. 

Asad Raza, the Deputy Inspector General (South), said the stolen unit was “very tall and heavy,” making the theft difficult to pull off without coordination. 

According to eyewitnesses, a vehicle, reportedly equipped with a crane, was seen at the site, suggesting a well-planned operation. 

The police are now examining CCTV footage from nearby cameras and gathering additional evidence to reconstruct how such a large installation was removed undetected and to find all those involved. 

Meanwhile, authorities have expressed concern over the lack of an alarm system or any security mechanism around critical Safe City infrastructure, a lapse that may have facilitated the theft.