Expatriate deprived of foreign currency

Criminals clad in police uniforms continue to rob overseas Pakistanis returning to their homes in Rawalpindi with complete impunity.

In a recent such incident, armed robbers, posing as police officials, looted over 27,000 Saudi Riyals and other currencies from an overseas Pakistani who had just returned from the Middle East nation with his hard-earned money after 13 years of labour.

The incident took place within the limits of Naseerabad police station.

Police said Muhammad Yasir, a resident of Gujar Khan, told them that he worked in Saudi Arabia for 13 years and arrived in the garrison city on a leave.

The complainant said his brothers-in-law, Ronaq Ali and Arshad Mahmood, came to the airport to receive and pick him up. They hired a cab from the New Islamabad International Airport and left for their home. However, as soon as they reached Koh-e-Noor Mills on Peshawar Road an unidentified vehicle, boarded by four suspects, intercepted their car.

“They told us not to get out of the vehicle and all of a sudden pulled their weapons and snatched 27,250 Saudi Riyals at gunpoint,” the victim said and added that the suspects also took away cash from the cab driver.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2023.