Inside job feared: Rs60m stolen from alleged money dealer

Three ‘policemen’ in a mobile-unit intercept bus, victim fails to file FIR until a day later.

KARACHI:

At least five suspects in a police van stole nearly Rs60 million from a man, who allegedly deals in illegal money transfers.

The robbery took place on Saturday night on Northern Bypass, Keamari, but the news broke on Sunday as the victim, Ata Muhammad, son of Haji Wali Dad, failed to contact the police. A team, comprising Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Crime Cell and Keamari police, has been formed.

An FIA official told The Express Tribune that a case may be registered against the victim for running the illegal ‘hawala and hundi’ business. Of the total amount stolen, 40 million was in Pakistani rupees and the rest were US dollars. The FIA believe that the foreign currency will be transferred abroad so they are keeping track of all conversions after noting the serial numbers of the currency.

An FIR No. 221/11 under section 395 has been registered against five unidentified policemen on behalf of the victim. Ata Muhammad told the police that he runs an illegal hawala and hundi business at Paan Mandi and often transports money to Quetta. On Saturday, he gave the money to his relative, Shah Khalid, to take it to Quetta.

Ata Muhammad dropped him at a bus stand in Saddar, where Khalid got into Al Faiz coach. The bus was intercepted near Keamari by three men - two in uniform and one in plainclothes. Two of their accomplices remained in the police mobile-unit.

The police told Khalid they wanted to take him away as he was involved in a kidnapping. After some time, they collected the money and took away Khalid. Later, they dropped him near Gulbai Chowrangi and escaped with the money.

Keamari Town SP Tariq Mughal told The Express Tribune that the case has been registered. “I don’t accept that the policemen were from Mauripur [police station] or any other station nearby. The complainant said that the culprits were in a new mobile-unit that did not even have a licence plate. Also, no policeman will do this within his jurisdiction.”

“From what we understand, one of his (victim’s) acquaintances was involved because no one else knew about the money being transferred,” he said. The SP explained that since the victims were involved in an illegal business, they failed to contact the police promptly - something the culprits knew and clearly took advantage of. The police are trying to trace the vehicle used in the crime through surveillance cameras installed in Keamari. The sketches of the suspects are also being made. “My job is to recover the stolen money. It is up to the FIA whether it wants to place charges against the victim,” said SP Mughal.

Federal Minister Rehman Malik and IG Sindh Wajid Ali Durrani have taken notice of the case and ordered an inquiry. “Police mobiles have a tracker in them so if police mobiles were used or police officers involved then the culprits will be caught,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2011.