Five years on, two murder suspects held with Interpol help

GUJRANWALA: A special team of the Gujranwala Special Operations Cell of the Crime Control Department (CCD) has arrested two proclaimed offenders wanted in separate murder cases from Dubai with the assistance of Interpol, police.

The arrests were made on the directions of CCD chief Sohail Zafar Chattha by a special team headed by Khalid Nawaz Waraich, according to a CCD spokesperson.

One of the suspects, identified as Javed alias Jeda Butt, son of Sultan, was wanted in a murder case registered at Bambanwala police station in Sialkot district in 2021.

According to police, Javed Butt allegedly got into a scuffle with Zeeshan Shaukat and Sajid, who had arrived at a polling station in Mauza Gowind to cast their votes. During the altercation, the suspect allegedly became enraged and opened fire with a pistol.

One of the bullets hit Zeeshan, who died at the scene, while another shot allegedly injured Majid.

Police said that following the incident, Javed Butt fled the country and took refuge in Dubai. He remained a proclaimed offender for around five years before being traced and arrested by the CCD team. He was subsequently brought back to Pakistan for further investigation.

The special operations team also arrested another proclaimed offender, identified as Mubeen, son of Basharat, who was wanted in another murder case registered at the same police station.

According to the police account, Mubeen allegedly intercepted Nadeem Ahmed, a resident of Barah Dari, at gunpoint.

When Nadeem did not stop his vehicle, the suspect allegedly opened fire, seriously injuring him. Nadeem later succumbed to his wounds.

The suspect allegedly fled abroad after the incident and had been evading arrest since then. The CCD team traced him to Dubai and arrested him with the assistance of Interpol before bringing him back to Pakistan.

The police said both suspects had been declared proclaimed offenders in the respective cases and their arrest was the result of efforts by the Special Operations Cell to trace fugitives who had escaped abroad after allegedly committing serious crimes.

Further investigation into the cases has been launched, the spokesperson said.
The arrests come as law-enforcement agencies have stepped up efforts to trace proclaimed offenders who flee the country after being booked in serious criminal cases.

Police officials said international coordination and Interpol assistance had helped them locate suspects hiding abroad and bring them back to face legal proceedings in Pakistan.