New cybercrime agency on the cards

Official vows stringent measures to curb illegal money transfers

FAISALABAD:

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) is being established to control increasing cybercrime, while stringent measures are being taken to control smuggling, said Director Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Rai Ijaz Ahmad.

Addressing a meeting in the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) on Tuesday, he advised the business community to switch over to transparent transactions through government channels instead of making payments through "Hawala Hundi" to avoid financial implication.

 Director Ijaz said that the State Bank’s Financial Management Unit was electronically monitoring available financial data and "red-flags," which are dubious, irregular and out-of-proportion transactions. 

He urged businesspeople to avoid indulging in illegal traditional practices as the monitoring system will grow stricter in the coming days.

Read NA panel alarmed by rising cybercrimes

Drawing a line between the jurisdiction of FIA and other departments, the Director said that tax matters generally fall within the ambit of the FBR, but any forgery or fraudulent transactions invoke the involvement of FIA.

Director Ijaz recommended that businessmen should make payments directly to the concerned parties, instead of sending it through an irrelevant account.

He suggested that the FCCI should organize an awareness session on this subject to sensitize its members and to clarify different issues faced by the business community.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2024.