KARACHI: A costly trade ended in a heist on Thursday when a jeweller was deprived of Rs12 million in Karachi’s Karimabad area on his way back from a gold deal.

According to the president of the Karimabad Jewellers Association, the robbery took place near the Government APWA College for Women when the victim was returning from a gold laboratory in Saddar after selling gold.

The association head said the robbers intercepted the jeweller, held him at gunpoint and fled with the cash.

Police said a manhunt for the suspects had been launched, while CCTV footage and other evidence from the vicinity were being collected to help identify the culprits. Officials added that further details were being gathered from the affected jeweller to aid the investigation.

The incident comes against the backdrop of unrelenting street crime in Karachi. Official data shows 43,419 street crime cases were reported in the city during the first eight months of 2025. At least 60 people were killed and 216 injured while resisting robberies, though police records acknowledge only 53 deaths.

During this period, 11,268 mobile phones were snatched, 1,430 cars were stolen or snatched, and 30,721 motorcycles were lifted across the city. On a daily average, Karachi loses 46 mobile phones, nearly six cars and over 126 motorcycles to criminals.

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Comparative data reflects a slight dip from last year, when 49,615 cases were registered in the corresponding period, leaving 78 people dead and 310 injured.

Security analysts warn that the convergence of militancy, organised crime and corruption within law enforcement has exacerbated Karachi’s crisis. With citizens increasingly caught in the crossfire and trust in police eroding, experts believe the city’s security challenge remains more entrenched than ever.