BAHAWALPUR – A highly organized gang, alleged of assisting the candidates of Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) was busted in Bahawalpur on Sunday, police said.
The gang, by use of latest gadgets and softwares, helped the aspirants of government jobs sail through their exams for various posts in the police department.
The gang was unearthed during the written test that was held at Government Sadiq Egerton College hall on Sunday when the police raided Koh-i-Noor hotel in Civil Lines and found some people using various gadgets. Police seized laptops, data cables, bluetooth devices, SIM cutters, small antennas, camera pens, mobile phones, communication devices and micro earpieces from them.
Revealing the official details of how specific candidates were aided by the gang, District Police Officer (DPO) Dr Akhtar Abbas displayed blue-colored jackets fitted with electronic gadgets and said seven persons, including three policemen, had been arrested.
The arrested policemen included Sub-Inspector (SI) Saifullah Malhi, SI Ahmad Naqqash, Naib Tehsildar Muhammad Masoom while others were identified as Aamir Mehmood, Sumair Tariq, Saad Ahmed and Fahad Ahmed. All of them reportedly belonged to Sadiqabad, tehsil headquarters of Rahim Yar Khan.
According to a press release by the DPO, Amir Mehmood in his statement before the police claimed that SI Malhi was the ringleader of their gang and had set up an academy in Sadiqabad to help prospective candidates prepare for PPSC exams. But the real job was solving question papers for candidates through gadgets. Between Rs1 million to Rs1.8 million was charged from each candidate. He also admitted to helping solve question papers of nine candidates at Punjab University, Lahore on Aug 26.
Mehmood also nominated his four accomplices, including Muhammad Waqas, Naveed Ramzan, Najeeb and Belal Ahmed, who were still at large.
The arrested suspects told police that 23 candidates sent them questions through Whatsapp, then two members of the gang searched for their answers and sent them back. The sources further said candidates appearing for posts of assistant sub-inspector, head constable and constable were the main clients of this gang.
It was also disclosed during the investigation that a few days ago, the same gang had helped 22 students of a local college attempt their papers with the help of gadgets hidden in their clothes and each candidate paid a staggering Rs1.6 million for it.
Civil Lines police station registered a first information report under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016, Punjab education malpractices act 1999 and Telegraph Act.
The district police head confirmed that the scope of interrogation would be widened and the Federal Investigation Agency and cyber crime wing would be involved in it.
