Wanted for breaking the law and the internet! Meet the Baloch dacoit who aims to capture the audience through YouTube

When you think of a dacoit, what comes to your mind? Chambal, Gabbar…perhaps Phoolan Devi? But definitely not YouTube!

Shahid Lund Baloch, a notorious dacoit belonging to the Katcha tribe of Balochistan has his own YouTube channel. With multiple YouTube Shorts and long-form videos, views on some of his videos are close to one lakh. To top it off, he also gives shoutouts to his dacoit friends’ Youtube channels!

When the government announced a bounty of PKR 10 million on the heads of various hardened robbers, including him, he called the official hotline to contest the reward placed on his own head. Like any ‘viral dacoit’, he posted a video of himself making the call to the Punjab Home Department. Alongside questioning the authenticity of the list that included his name, he criticised the bounty system and argued why such large sums of money were not used to help the poor!

He doesn't like being called a daku though. In a video titled “hum daku nahi” (we are not dacoits), he explains how he comes from a lineage of respectable people, and feels sad when people call him a daku. All this, with an AK 47 on his arm. His views are socialist, and his wants, basic — he claims that he just wants safety for the people of his tribe and access to basic amenities, like schools.

Despite the preaching of ideal socialist views on YouTube, his actions in no way match that of a virtuous social media sensation. This dacoit-cum-YouTuber is one of the people wanted for a series of severe crimes including the recent murder of 11 police officers.

The rise of dacoit gangs in Pakistan can be traced back to the time between 1984 and 1994, the first-half of which coincides with Zia-ul-Haq’s military rule. These criminal groups, like the ones in Katcha, are known for smuggling, gun-running, kidnapping, and highway robberies. In a surprising twist, modernisation has led them to use social media to expand their influence and gain support, something rare among people involved in criminal activities.

But the bigger picture shows a deeper issue — the state's failure to support its marginalised communities, driving some toward crime as a means of survival. It also remains a mystery why the authorities are not able to track and capture such criminals despite the growing use of social media platforms among them.