FIA busts hawala network, arrests one

In a major development, the FIA unearthed an international network running the illegal hawala business and arrested one of the main accused in Karachi, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.

According to the FIA, Junaid, who is the manager of a money exchange company was arrested from Dhoraji Colony. The network was being used to transfer money to the RAW sleeper cells in the city for carrying out terrorism, targeted killings as well as buying arms and other equipment.

It is the second network exposed by the FIA as the members of another were arrested earlier in the port city.

Last week, the FIA had arrested the manager of another money exchange, Yaseen, from the Saddar area after his whereabouts were revealed by the suspects apprehended earlier.

The details shared by the FIA show that the other accomplices of Junaid run the hawala business from Dubai while the Mehmood Siddiqui group assigns tasks to the operatives in Karachi through email.

Moreover, the IP [the shorter version of Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)] shows that most of the emails are sent from New Delhi.

A code word ID is sent which is later used to collect money, the FIA says, adding that a laptop, USB and other equipment have been recovered from Junaid.

The FIA also said that raids were being conducted to arrest other members of the network.