FIA busts gold, currency smuggling ring

Ringleader arrested; three customs inspectors named as facilitators

GUJRANWALA:

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested the ringleader of an gang involved in the smuggling of foreign currency and gold, recovering gold and cash worth millions of rupees.

The investigation has also revealed the alleged involvement of three customs inspectors as facilitators in the racket. According to FIA Gujranwala, the arrest was made following a tip-off that a well-organised group, headed by Adeel Tahir, a resident of Pasrur, was actively engaged in smuggling foreign currency and gold abroad.

The informant disclosed that the suspect was transporting a large quantity of gold and currency to Lahore.

Acting on the information, an FIA team set up a checkpoint near Qila and intercepted Adeel Tahir.

During a search of his vehicle, officials recovered 57.5 tolas of gold, along with 23,000 Saudi riyals, 16,000 UAE dirhams, 1,200 euros, 1,650 Qatari riyals, and Kuwaiti dinars, collectively valued at several million rupees.

During initial interrogation, the suspect confessed that he had been running the operation for over a year in collaboration with his accomplices, identified as Naeem Rafiq, Muhammad Nadeem, Sufaila Nadeem, Tariq Mahmood, Shehzad Ahmed, Muhammad Umar, Zaidi Ijaz, and Haris Younis.

He also named three customs inspectors stationed at Sialkot Airport, Rana Maroof, Aamir, and Adnan, as alleged facilitators, raising serious concerns over internal collusion.

Sources further revealed that the gang included six jewellers, three each from Gujranwala and Sialkot.

The group reportedly collected data on families frequently travelling between Pakistan and Dubai.

Selected individuals were approached and offered money in exchange for carrying gold jewellery worn by women to Dubai, where the items were collected by the gang's associates.

Similarly, travellers arriving in Pakistan from Dubai were allegedly given high-end mobile phones, including iPhones, to smuggle into the country. The FIA has forwarded the case for prosecution and expanded the scope of the investigation.