Criminals In Islamabad Evading Arrest Using Face Masks

Criminals in Islamabad have found a new way to escape arrest by hiding their identity behind face masks that have become a new normal after the coronavirus pandemic. APP reports that the public would be wary of a person covering their face before Covid, but now that everyone is supposed to cover their face, it is easy for the criminals to blend in with other people. Even the CCTV footage cannot capture their identity.

The report quoted APP reporter Ishtiaq Ahmad who fell victim of a street crime in broad daylight and was robbed of Rs. 800,000. He said that if it was not for the face masks, he would have escaped the incident upon realising that he was being chased by veiled men. "But now it's normal," he added. He said that the two men were covering their faces but no one got suspicious due to face masks being a norm.

Another robbery took place in I-8 Markaz area of Islamabad last month wherein a masked man inside the bank facilitated the robbery by telling his accomplices over the phone about a man who had left the bank with a bag of cash. A bank employee state that it has become impossible for them to distinguish between customers and criminals.