FIA detains 8 suspects involved in smuggling of dollars to Afghanistan

KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Monday arrested 8 suspects over their alleged involvement in the smuggling of foreign currencies worth millions of rupees, ARY News reported.

According to details, the Commercial Banking Circle of Federal Investigation Agency raided a money exchange company in Karachi’s Saddar and Gulshan-e-Iqbal area and busted gang involved in illegal business of ‘hawala and hundi’.

The FIA team also recovered local and foreign currency from the possession of suspects during Karachi raids. Mobile phones, laptops and other documents were also seized.

The arrested suspects include Company Director Mohammad Yaseen, Manager Mohammad Adnan, Mohammad Meraj, Osama, Junior Officer Fahad Lamada, Mohammad Athar Mehboob and cash carriers Saifuddin and Sanaullah.

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According to FIA Sindh Investigation Officer, Inspector Arshan Al-Karim, the accused were running illegal hawala/hundi businesses under the guise of license exchange company and were providing US dollars to people of Balochistan illegally without any receipts and entries.

Two residents of Quetta Saifuddin and Sanaullah used to send these dollars to Afghanistan, the FIA inspector revealed.

FIA also confiscated PKR7.6 million, foreign currency equivalent to PKR3 million and 36,394 US dollars from the accused.

A case has been registered against eight accused while further investigation is underway.