FIA busts network of illegal trade of surgical instruments

FIA seized a large quantity of surgical instruments, lenses, and medicines worth millions of rupees

KARACHI:

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Anti-Money Laundering Circle Karachi has taken a big action against a network involved in the illegal trade of surgical instruments, lenses, and medicines. The FIA team, led by Deputy Director Abdul Rauf Sheikh, raided a office in Urdu Bazaar and a bungalow in PECHS Block 2, and seized a large quantity of surgical instruments, lenses, and medicines worth millions of rupees. The FIA team has also recovered a large quantity of foreign currency and gold, which was being used to finance this illegal trade.

The raid was conducted on the basis of an intelligence report, and the FIA team recovered a large quantity of Indian-made lenses, surgical kits, and other medicines from the office and the bungalow. One accused, Maqsood Ahmed, was arrested during the raid. A large quantity of foreign currency equivalent of Rs230 million were recovered, including 63762 US dollars, 49170 euros, 3100 Saudi riyals, 252 Singapore dollars, and 210 Qatari riyals, while were two kilograms of gold were also recovered. The surgical items and medicines were repackaged and sold in the local market before being smuggled from India via Dubai.

The Deputy Director FIA, Abdul Rauf Sheikh, said that the FIA team would take action against anyone involved in this illegal trade, including officials of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP). The Deputy Director expressed surprise stating that the illegal medicines were being sold in the local market without any check or balance. He said that the FIA team would also investigate the matter of money laundering and would take action against anyone involved in it.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th, 2024.