KARACHI: It hasn’t even been a week since the new year began and two people have already been shot dead by muggers in Karachi. On Thursday night, a young woman named Sana Tariq was shot dead upon resisting robbery in Gulistan-e-Johar Block 17.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) District East Syed Abdul Rahim Sherazi said that victim had come to a pharmacy with her brother and a child around 8pm Thursday night.

Sana was waiting for her brother to return from inside the pharmacy when two street criminals approached the car. She quickly closed the car window to protect herself, upon which the criminals fired at her.

According to the FIR registered by the victim’s brother Ahsan, he heard gunshots and came out of the store to find a crowd gathered around Sana bleeding on the ground, with a bullet wound on her shoulder.

Police added that her cell phone was missing.

A case has been registered at the Shahra-e-Faisal Police Station which includes charges of murder and robbery.

SP Saleem Shah said there was no CCTV footage of the killers’ escape from the crime scene. He added that a special team was investigating the case and the raids would be conducted to apprehend the accused.

The law and order situation in Karachi has worsened, with the number of people killed during snatchings on the rise.

Addition by investigative expert

One police officer that Aaj News spoke to said that the killers could be traced using the IMEI number of the victim’s cell phone.

Even if the cell phone owner doesn’t have the IMEI number, the police can get the CDR of the cell phone owner. The CDR includes the IMEI number of the phone in which the SIM was inserted.

Once they have the IMEI number, the police can trace other SIM cards used in the phone with that IMEI number.

Once they have the number, it is easy to get the details of the person it is registered to.

The individual using the phone could either be the criminal or someone who acquired the phone from that criminal and can lead the police to them.