In 3 months, 134 crime suspects arrested in Herat

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): At least 134 people have been arrested on charges of terrorist attacks, kidnappings and armed robberies, in western Herat province during the past three months, the governor said on Saturday.

Governor Sayid Wahid Qatali told a press conference that local National Directorate Security (NDS) forces had arrested 42 people on charges of kidnappings, 17 on terrorist attacks, 16 on armed robberies, nine on accusations of corruption and 50 others on other crimes in the province.

He said several light and heavy weapons had been obtained from the detainee and 50 landmines were discovered and defused in the last three months.

The governor hoped the judiciary would punish the perpetrators and that efforts were underway to arrest their accomplices.

Qatali blamed the Taliban for all insecurity in the province, saying the rebels had recently started collaborating with mafia groups turn the province’s economic wheel into a recession.

The Taliban could not keep passengers of a bus hostage and eventually released all the abducted passengers and now only the national bus and its driver were with the Taliban and efforts to free him were underway, he said .

Taliban militants abducted a passenger bus with dozens onboard in Rubat-i-Sangi district on Saturday.

Meanwhile, residents of Herat appreciated national security efforts but said the city remained insecure and innocent people were either assassinated or abducted.

They demanded of the judiciary department to severely punish criminals so others could learn a lesson.

bk/ma