FIA arrest four ‘swindlers’ in Islamabad

Suspects were wanted by LEAs in hundreds of cases

RAWALPINDI:

The Anti-Human Trafficking Circle of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Islamabad claimed on Friday to have arrested four members, including a woman, of a gang involved in cheating innocent citizens on the pretext of sending them abroad.

The accused had formed companies -- Global Citizenship Solutions Agency and Indigo Migration Services -- and they also used to trap citizens online.

The accused has minted billions of rupees from hundreds of citizens by offering jobs in the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe. The suspects were already hundreds of inquiries and cases in the capital, the FIA, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan.

The suspects identified as Malik Bilal, Umair Kazmi, Saddam Hussain and a woman, were arrested from the F-7 area of Islamabad. The accused had been on the run for the last three years. The FIA investigation team has launched a thorough investigation and intensified efforts to arrest the remaining gang members.

Meeting on power theft crackdown

Officials of the FIA and the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) Friday resolved to prevent electricity theft in light of the crackdown ordered by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

A meeting was co-chaired by the Additional Director General FIA North and IESCO Chief Executive Officer Dr Amjad Khan. IESCO Chief Engineer Arif Saduzai, Anti-Corruption Circle Islamabad Deputy Director Muhammad Afzal Khan Niazi and Anti-Electricity and Gas Theft Unit Islamabad Deputy Director Rana Shahid Habib participated in the meeting.

The meeting considered special measures regarding the prevention of electricity theft and expressed a determination to intensify the crackdown against electricity theft.

Officials said that strict action has already been initiated against the accused involved in electricity theft. The FIA teams are conducting operations with the help of the IESCO officials. A strict strategy is also being adopted regarding the facilitation of Wapda officials in electricity theft. In light of technical reports, cases will be registered against Wapda employees involved in electricity theft.

Officials further said that those who harmed the national treasury should be brought to justice. It was also decided to speed up operations about recoveries from the ISCO defaulters.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2024.