FIA officials held for facilitating suspect in hiding cryptocurrency accounts

ISLAMABAD: Two Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials have been arrested and booked over their alleged role in helping a terror suspect in concealing his cryptocurrency accounts, ARY NEWS reported.

According to details, the FIA arrested a suspect named Hafiz Asghar who was illegally facilitated during the detention.

DG FIA Sanaullah Abbasi who had adopted a zero-tolerance policy against corruption took notice of the incident and directed to arrest the FIA personnel involved in the entire episode.

It emerged that during the detention of Hafiz Asghar, the FIA officials, head constable Ehtisham, and Farman Ayaz facilitated the suspect in hiding his cryptocurrency account.

They provided him the facility of internet and laptop during the captivity, enabling him to change passwords of his Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency accounts.

The anti-terrorism wing of the FIA, however, timely foiled the bid to change the passwords and delete other evidence.

The anti-corruption circle of the FIA has registered a case against the two officials under corruption charges and launched an investigation against them.

Read More: CRYPTOCURRENCY PRONE TO ILLEGAL USE, SBP TELLS COURT

Last year in September, the central bank opposed the use of digital currency in the country saying it has already issued an advisory warning against trade in virtual currency as it is not legal tender.

During a Sindh High Court hearing, a petitioner stated that the State Bank imposed a ban on the use of digital currency on April 6, 2018 despite developing countries are earning significant revenue from the cryptocurrency which doesn’t pose any threat to national interests.