Agency recovers travelling cheques worth USD 2.5 million, arrests 2,427 people on human smuggling charges
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has unearthed two groups– one involved in international human smuggling and another involved in smuggling of jewellery worth Rs 35 billion. The FIA has already arrested Javed Yusuf Hamadani – the central character of the human smuggling gang.
In addition the FIA arrested several thousand cases of electricity and gas theft and recovered Rs 6 billion from the defaulters.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was informed of these activities during a briefing Wednesday at the FIA Headquarters.
The human smuggler group, known as John Michael Hamdani was involved in various crimes and illegally sending people to different countries including Brunei Darussalam, US, Canada, UK and other European countries. A large number of passports were also recovered.
The FIA disclosed that the group was sending Pakistanis abroad after getting huge payments.
Per reports, the smugglers first sent Pakistanis to Dubai or Istanbul on Pakistani passports and then passports of such countries were given to them which were exempted from visa such as the Brunei Darussalam passport which does not require visas for 122 countries.
The group was reportedly making passports using a modern machine. The FIA also recovered travelling cheques worth USD 2.5 million from the head of the gang.
The group was also involved in printing of Pakistani passports in Belgium and then sending them to Afghanistan.
The FIA informed the minister that 2,427 persons were arrested on human smuggling charges.
The FIA said the Economic Crime Wing has also unearthed four gangs of gold smugglers who have so far caused a loss of Rs 35 billion to the national exchequer. The minister was told that when FIA took action against these smugglers, Karachi Gold Association threatened to start a strike.
He asked the FIA not to be afraid of such strikes or recommendations, adding that if any one tried to pressure the officers, the matter should be brought to his notice.
FIA director general said that he would meet governor of State Bank of Pakistan in this connection. He said that action was also being taken against gold smugglers in Lahore.
He said there are eleven special courts which are dealing with 1,100 cases and are thus facing difficulties in disposal of cases.
The FIA DG said that Rao Shakeel has been given bail in the Haj scandal and it was pointed out that during the one year of hearing, not a single statement was recorded.
He said that major criminals hire prominent lawyers while the fee of government legal parishioners is bare minimum. He stressed the need for strengthening the legal team.
The minister was also told that 78 cases of fake medicine manufacture and sale were also filed in the courts and a factory was sealed in Gadoon Amazai from where the FIA recovered Ephedrine.
Comments are closed.