Karachi: In a bold act of street crime, a citizen’s motorcycle was stolen from just outside a police station in the metropolis while he was in to meet an officer.

According to police sources, the incident in the Korangi district at Al-Falah Police Station, where a citizen, named Shahid Iqbal, had come to meet the police staff. He had parked his 125cc motorcycle-bearing number KQT-6183 at the station gate.

When he left, he found that the motorcycle was missing, causing a rebellion at the police station.

Interestingly, just minutes before the theft, the suspect had entered the police station, greeted the duty officer and other staff and took place to submit a report.

When the police staff reviewed the station’s CCTV recordings, it was revealed that the suspect had performed the theft within seconds and fled easily.

The recordings showed the suspect who entered the customs officer before the incident, and took place to report a lost national identity card and take advantage of the possibility of assessing the station’s interior. Police are currently searching for the suspect.

This incident comes in the midst of a wider pattern of rising street crime in Karachi. On March 9, Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) reported that 3,773 motorcycles and 195 cars were snapped or stolen in February alone.

Even with police allegations of a 21% decrease in total crime by 2024, street crime remains an urgent concern. Criminals continue to loot and harm citizens, often fatal, with minimal resistance.

Last year alone, 106 people, including security staff, professionals and civilians, were killed by street criminals, while almost 300 others were caused by injuries.