The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Lahore Zone has apprehended four individuals in separate raids on charges of engaging in hawala-hundi operations and infringing the Copyright Act. An FIA spokesperson disclosed the details to the media on Sunday, stating that the operations were executed by the FIA Corporate Crime Circle Lahore at various locations within the provincial capital.
Arrests in Hawala-Hundi Case
Two suspects, identified as Shahid Ilyas and Shahid Nazir, were taken into custody for allegedly operating illegal currency exchange and hawala-hundi businesses. During the raid, authorities confiscated Pakistani currency amounting to Rs20.4 million from the suspects. Additionally, foreign currency was seized, including 1,080 US dollars, 320 Australian dollars, 4,015 UAE dirhams, 85 British pounds, and 160 Saudi riyals. Documentary records and digital evidence pertaining to hawala-hundi transactions were also recovered from their possession.
Actions Against Copyright Violations
In separate operations, FIA arrested Noor-ul-Mujtaba and Arsalan Imtiaz for their alleged involvement in violations of the Copyright Act. The suspects were found in possession of a substantial quantity of counterfeit products belonging to well-known registered companies. According to the spokesperson, the individuals were reportedly involved in stocking and selling fake branded items.
The investigations into both cases are ongoing, and further legal proceedings are expected to follow.
