A British national has been arrested for robbing a bank near Lahore’s Bhatta Chowk in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) area “after watching Netflix shows”.
According to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Operations Faisal Kamran, it appeared that the shows led the suspect to believe that such a robbery would be easier to carry out in Lahore, however, investigators traced his movements through Safe City cameras and arrested him.
Police identified the suspect as Subhan Ali and said that they recovered Rs426,000, two pistols, a 12-bore rifle and a white Honda Civic RS Turbo allegedly used in the robbery.
Addressing a press conference as videos of the arrest went viral on social media, DIG Kamran said the suspect entered the bank at around 9:19 am and stayed there for about nine minutes before leaving.
He said that Ali allegedly took Rs726,000 from the bank along with two weapons belonging to security guards.
DIG Kamran added that the suspect had planned to leave for Islamabad after the robbery and had rented a vehicle for that purpose, paying its owner Rs300,000. However, police traced him with the help of Safe City cameras within three hours.
Revealing further details, the DIG said that Ali had arrived in Pakistan from Britain on September 16 after a dispute with his parents, adding that he previously visited Pakistan in April and had spent six years working as a taxi driver in Scotland.
During questioning, Ali told investigators that he needed money after spending around £1,200 he had brought from Britain.
The suspect told police that he had identified the bank near Ghazi Road as a possible target because of its location and the availability of parking near his home. He also revealed buying a pistol from Sialkot for Rs45,000 in April and later obtaining ammunition from Lahore’s Thokar area for Rs20,000.
The DIG further said that police were investigating the alleged supply of illegal weapons and trying to identify anyone who may have helped Ali obtain the same.
