Sacrificial Animals Worth Over Rs600,000 Stolen in Karachi

In a concerning incident highlighting the surge in criminal activity ahead of Eid-ul-Adha, armed individuals intercepted a truck in Liaquatabad, Karachi, on Tuesday, making off with sacrificial animals valued at more than Rs600,000.

According to law enforcement, the livestock had been procured from Bhains Colony and were en route to Orangi Town when a vehicle carrying armed assailants intercepted the truck. The culprits, brandishing firearms, seized control of the vehicle after forcing the driver out.

Security camera recordings have surfaced, capturing the unfolding robbery. The initial police report indicates that the driver was confined to the suspects’ car while they absconded with the animal-laden truck.

The driver was released a short distance away, and the truck, devoid of its cargo, was subsequently discovered abandoned near Nipa Chowrangi in Gulshan-e- Iqbal. As of now, the police have not located the stolen animals.

Eid-ul-Adha, characterized by the customary sacrifice of animals, typically sees an escalation in similar offenses as traders and purchasers move high-value livestock through populous areas.

Prior to Eid-ul-Adha, analogous robberies have transpired in both Karachi and Lahore, driven by the heightened need for sacrificial animals.

In June 2024, a truck transporting 30 sacrificial goats was commandeered in close proximity to Kamran Chowrangi in Gulistan-e-Johar, Karachi. Four armed individuals on a motorcycle forcibly removed the driver at gunpoint and absconded with the truck, which was carrying goats originating from Hyderabad.

Lahore witnessed two independent incidents in Samanabad and Nishtar Colony, where robbers stole goats from citizens. In one instance, law enforcement apprehended one perpetrator, while the other managed to escape.

In 2023, unidentified criminals pilfered over a dozen prized sacrificial animals from a cattle farm situated near the Super Highway within the Malir Cantonment vicinity.

More than a dozen animals were stolen from Muhammadi Cattle Farm, located near the Wadi-e-Hussain Graveyard, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Malir Cantonment police station.

According to Malik Shahroze, proprietor of the cattle farm, approximately 10 to 12 armed individuals stormed his farm in the early hours, assaulting a security guard and the watchman.

The suspects held the fodder employee hostage using firearms, absconding with the costly sacrificial animals in a pickup truck. The farm owner estimated the stolen animals’ value at Rs10 million to Rs15 million, adding that his employees were beaten and tied up with ropes by the suspects.

In June of the same year, a group of unidentified armed men stole three bulls from a plot located in the North Karachi vicinity. The perpetrators invaded the premises and detained the watchman at gunpoint before fleeing with the three sacrificial bulls, collectively worth over Rs700,000.