Flights of fancy: Suspects in bank theft handed over to FIA

One of three accused rolled over accomplices in a case of stolen gold worth Rs50 million.

SWABI:

The three bank officials who were allegedly involved in stealing gold worth millions from National Bank Thanda Koi branch were handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) team in Peshawar.

Inside job

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Swabi DPO Sajad Khan shared the bank manager filed a case on November 7 stating, of the 167 bags of gold kept in the bank as surety for loans, 62 bags were missing. DPO Sajad added Zaida police official Qaiser Khan started investigating and on November 8 arrested the bank’s janitor, Sahil Muhammad, who revealed he stole the gold with accomplices bank manager Ziaullah and cashier Abdul Hameed.



During the interrogation on November 8, Muhammad revealed he sold the gold to jewellers in Swabi, Arshid and Yasir. The janitor claimed he had also given some of the gold to Sajad, son of Sher Ali, a contractor at the bank.

DPO Sajad said a large portion of the gold was handed over to Sher’s son who has escaped to the UAE. After investigation, it was calculated the loot was worth Rs50 million. Muhammad explained he had made plans with Sajad to start a business in the UAE from money they would make from selling the gold.



Discussing progress in the case, the DPO shared both bank manager and cashier have been found guilty of negligence for providing keys of the vault to the janitor.

The case along with the alleged culprits has been handed over to the FIA in Peshawar for further investigation.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 14^th,2013.