Action against betting mafia: FIA issues call-up notices to sugar mills

LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Lahore has issued call-up notices to sugar mills’ administrations while beginning its action against sugar betting mafia from March 31, citing sources, ARY News reported on Monday.

The FIA Lahore office has started summoning the representatives of sugar mills’ administrations from March 31 and directed them to bring relevant records of sugar stocks sold through the betting mafia from November 2020, sources told ARY News.

The sugar mills have also been directed to produce the record of sugar stocks that were declared sold before the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) from November 1, 2020, as well as providing details of all corporate and ostensible bank accounts owned by the sugar mills. The mill administrations were also sought records of all TTs (telegraphic transfers), sources added.

Read: PM Imran Khan wants across the board action in sugar scandal

Following the absence or failure to coordinate with the investigators, the officials of the sugar mill administrations could face arrests.

Sources said that the agency issued call-up notices to Chaudhry Sugar Mills (Maryam Nawaz) to appear before FIA investigators on March 31, Rahim Yar Khan (RYK) Sugar Group (Moonis Elahi) on April 1, Ramzan Sugar Mills (Hamza Shehbaz) and JWD Sugar Mills (Jahangir Tareen) on April 2, Al-Moiz Sugar Mills (Noman Shamim Khan) on April 5, Madina Sugar Mills (Mian Rasheed and Mian Hanif) on April 7, Hamza Sugar Mills (Mian Tayyab) on April 8 and Tandlianwala Sugar Mills (Humayun Akhtar) on April 12.

Read: FIA summons 40 persons involved in sugar satta dealings

Earlier on March 24, it emerged that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had formed 20 teams to launch a massive crackdown under the anti-money laundering act against the sugar mafia.

The sugar mafia had hiked the commodity’s ex-mill price from Rs70 per kilogram to Rs90 during the past year and earned over Rs110 billion through satta, the sources added.

The mafia was involved in creating an artificial shortage of essential item and raising the rates of the commodity.

Read: NAB decides summoning all accused in sugar scandal case

The sugar mafia had hundreds of fake bank accounts to conceal the money earned through illegal means, said the sources.

The mafia also plans to increase sugar prices during the upcoming holy month of Ramazan.

Earlier, the FIA had arrested seven brokers involved in sugar heist depriving people billion of rupees during a crackdown against sugar speculative pricing or satta in Karachi