KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Sindh has broaden its investigation ambit in Rs 35 billion scam and in Rs 500 million worth of gold, gems and jewellery smuggling case, it is learnt.
Sources informed Customs Today that the FIA’s Corporate Crime Cell (CCC) has written a letter to the FBR authorities, seeking a list of the officials who were deputed in the Model Customs Collectorate of Export from 2012 to 2014.
It may be mentioned here that the CCC has already arrested four suspects, including two clearing agents Wajahat Minhas and Zubair Ali of Kashan Enterprises, TDAP ex-director Shakeel Ahmed and an officer of a private bank, who were allegedly involved in the illegal export of gold on fake E-form while further arrests are expected in the next few days.
Sources further disclosed that the FIA authorities wanted to include officials of the MCC Export into the investigation for reaching a conclusion in the said case.
The FBR sources revealed this scribe that the FBR authorities have asked MCC Export Collector Manzoor Memon to prepare a list of the officials who were deputed during 2012-2014 at the Collectorate.
It is worth mentioning that the newly-appointed FIA Sindh Director Shahid Hayat has issued clear directives to the authorities to left no stone un-turned during the investigation of the said sensitive case.
On Thursday, FIA revealed that jewellers from Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore have smuggled gold worth Rs35 billion out of the country in one year on fake customs documents.
FIA in its reported submitted to the Ministry of Interior said that this gold was smuggled out mostly via Karachi in one year between 2010 and 2011.
The report also said four suspects were arrested on charges of involvement in the crime and it is being ascertained whether the money involved in the illegal transaction was used through Hundi for financing terrorism.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was briefed that the jewellers had threatened to stage a protest over the arrest of the accused.
Chaudhry Nisar directed FIA to step up the investigation into the scam by rejecting all kinds of pressures or influences.