Karachi: Unknown robbers vanished with approximately PKR 300 million worth of gold and diamond jewellery, in one of the largest heists in the history of Pakistan's biggest city, Karachi.

The robbers used the weekend holiday to carry out the robbery in the Pakistan Colony area of Malir in Karachi, a police official said on Sunday.

The robbers entered the vault of the Iqbal Jewellery shop by making a hole in the back wall of the vault, he added.

"We closed our shop as usual on February 12, but when we opened it two days later, employees found all the boxes were empty with gold jewellery, gold bars and diamonds all gone," shop owner, Ayub Khan said.

He explained that in the market, Friday and Saturday were observed as weekly holidays, and Sunday was a working day because of customers.

The area SHO Iqbal Dewan said the shopkeeper has reported jewellery worth PKR 300 million missing.

"They have filed a report that nearly 700 tolas of pure gold bars were stolen," Dewan added.

He said the robbers knew the layout of the market and entered through a back wall, but the market security guard had been detained for questioning.

PTI