Web Desk: Pakistan Railways Police have recovered nearly 32 tonnes of stolen railway material, including track sections and other assets, during a major crackdown in Karachi, officials said.
The operation, carried out by the Railways Police Karachi Division on the directives of Inspector General of Pakistan Railways Police Muhammad Wisal Fakhar Sultan, resulted in the arrest of six suspects allegedly involved in stealing and trading railway property.
According to officials, Railways Police Station Karachi City SHO Asad Khan and his team were conducting surveillance in the closed section of the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) route when they noticed four individuals carrying heavy railway equipment near Orangi Railway Station.
The suspects were identified as Hazratullah, Ilahi Bakhsh, Israfeel and Raz Muhammad.
Police immediately detained the suspects and recovered three cut pieces of railway track along with equipment allegedly used to dismantle railway infrastructure.
A case was registered at the Railways Police Station Karachi City, while the recovered material was taken into official custody.
During the investigation, the arrested suspects allegedly revealed that they sold stolen railway tracks at Rehmani Warehouse in Haroonabad.
Acting on the information provided by the suspects, police raided the warehouse and questioned two individuals, Muhammad Siddique Soneja and Muhammad Umar Soneja, over the alleged purchase and sale of stolen railway material.
Officials said both men admitted that the material stored at the warehouse belonged to Pakistan Railways and had been illegally obtained.
Police recovered approximately 31,800 kilograms of railway material from the site. Authorities said the stolen assets had been hidden beneath other goods and machinery in an attempt to conceal them.
Inspector General Muhammad Wisal Fakhar Sultan praised the Karachi Division team for the operation and said authorities would continue strict action against individuals involved in damaging railway infrastructure, stealing assets or participating in illegal trade of railway property.
He said protecting railway installations and ensuring safe travel for passengers remained among the top priorities of Pakistan Railways Police.
The inspector general added that organized criminal networks targeting national railway assets would be pursued and brought before the law.
Railways Police officials said the investigation into the case was continuing and additional operations had been launched to identify and arrest other members of the alleged criminal network.
The crackdown comes as Pakistan Railways continues wider efforts to protect its land and infrastructure from illegal occupation and theft.
Pakistan Railways Recovers More Than 2,500 Acres of Encroached Land
Separately, Pakistan Railways has reclaimed 2,552 acres of illegally occupied land across the country over the past five years as part of a nationwide anti-encroachment campaign, according to officials.
A Ministry of Railways official said the department owns 168,858 acres of land nationwide, with 12,468 acres currently under encroachment.
The official said Pakistan Railways has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to recover its land, including cooperation with provincial governments and law enforcement agencies.
Authorities have introduced quarterly anti-encroachment plans and issued legal notices under the Possession Ordinance, 1965, giving occupants a 14-day period to vacate illegally held railway property.
Officials said railway land records have also been digitized, geo-referenced and connected with provincial databases through the Pakistan Railways Land Management and Information System (PRLMIS), allowing authorities to monitor assets more efficiently.
The system is also available through a mobile application to support real-time tracking and decision-making.
Officials said Punjab recorded the highest recovery, with 1,078 acres reclaimed, followed by Sindh with 837 acres, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 419 acres and Balochistan with 218 acres.
The recovered land included 1,564 acres of agricultural property, 713 acres classified as commercial land, 268 acres of residential land and seven acres under other categories.
Pakistan Railways said it would continue legal action against illegal occupants and maintain regular operations to prevent further encroachment of its assets.
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