Family arrested for stealing handbags, gold at Karachi weddings

Police in Pakistan’s economic hub Karachi have arrested a family accused of stealing handbags and gold from wedding halls across the city.

Officers from Shah Noor Jahan Police Station acted after receiving numerous complaints from wedding venues in North Nazimabad, Block J. According to authorities, victims reported missing handbags and other valuables during events.

Investigators reviewed CCTV footage from the venues and identified a woman who was seen stealing a handbag from a table and leaving on a motorcycle. The motorcycle was ridden by a man, accompanied by two young girls.

Arrest and confession

Police began monitoring the family and caught them during a theft at another wedding hall. The suspects, identified as Rashid Ghani, his wife, and one of their daughters, were arrested. A second daughter, aged four, was not taken into custody.

“During initial questioning, the suspects confessed to stealing handbags containing gold jewelry and greeting envelopes for the past five months,” police said.

Ghani, a ladies’ tailor by profession, revealed that his wife and daughters would approach the stage at weddings to take handbags. The stolen items would then be sold, with ATM cards discarded and mobile phones sold to a shop in Paposh Nagar.

Evidence recovered

A raid on the family’s residence in Nazimabad Block 4 uncovered six stolen handbags. Police also raided the Paposh Nagar shop where the stolen phones were allegedly sold, but no arrests were made there.

The case highlights the need for increased vigilance at wedding venues in Karachi, where valuables have become easy targets for theft. The suspects remain in custody as the investigation continues.