FIA nabs four-member gang in CNIC scam

Spokesperson says ex-Nadra officials were posted at Mega Centre, Blue Area, Islamabad

ISLAMABAD:

The Federal Investigative Agency’s (FIA) Anti-Corruption Circle Islamabad has apprehended a four-member gang of former National Database & Registration Authority (Nadra) personnel involved in fraudulent activities related to the issuance of identification cards to Afghans and foreigners by illicitly adding them to Pakistani family trees.

The suspects, identified as former Deputy Assistant Directors Muhammad Tahir and Adnan Amar, along with Senior Executives Aamir Khan and Muhammad Tayyab, were arrested during a raid led by Afzal Khan Niazi, Deputy Director of the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle, Islamabad.

“The accused were arrested from Islamabad and the raid for that was carried out under the leadership of Inspector Zahid Bhatti,” a spokesperson said.

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The illegal activities took place at the Nadra Mega Centre in Blue Area, Islamabad, where the accused provided identity cards to foreign nationals during the years 2019 and 2020. The suspects are alleged to have illegally collected biometric data of labourers participating in the Ehsaas programme and registered Afghan individuals in family trees.

“For this purpose, fake fathers were arranged by the agents amongst drug addicts/labourers/daily wage workers by the agent mafia through cheating as they were lured in by paying money in the guise of Ehsaas/BISP/NGO aid payments and hence, their biometrics were obtained by above-mentioned Nadra officers/officials to enter the names of Afghans/non-nationals in their (fake fathers) family tree,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson claimed that in collaboration with various agents, the accused lured ordinary citizens into their scheme by offering monetary incentives.

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“Financial gratification was received directly or indirectly by the Nadra staff for the said illegal and unlawful acts. As biometrics of these non-nationals/Afghans for registration and processing of CNICs were not taken and instead were swapped by biometrics of juvenile and drug addicts, these acts of Nadra officials threatened the national security as these non-nationals/Afghans cannot be traced through biometric analysis. Hence the above-referred Nadra officials committed offences of cheating, fraud and forgery by misuse of authority and their official position,” the spokesperson added.

He said the role of other Nadra officers/officials, private agents and facilitators would be determined during the investigation. The accused managed to issue numerous identity cards through these fraudulent activities, resulting in significant financial gains.

The FIA spokesperson said the arrested individuals were under investigation, with more revelations expected.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2023.