ISLAMABAD, May 14: The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to two persons accused of importing computer merchandize by making payment using stolen credit card information.

They were alleged to have caused about $2 million loss to the credit card holders.

On the complaint of the American consulate in Karachi, the Federal Investigation Agency arrested Faisal Qureshi and Khurram lftikhar and booked them under the Offences in Banks (Special Courts) Ordinance-IX, 1984.

They were accused of acquiring credit card numbers from some employees of a hotel, who provided them copies of bills of people who had paid their dues through the cards, and used them to get goods from different countries.

On Dec 19, 2002, the FIA, in collaboration with United States customs officials, raided the office of a computer firm in Karachi and nabbed the accused.

The counsel for the accused, Syed Iqbal Haider, stated that the offences were not scheduled under the FIA Act, 1974, and the agency had no authority to register the case, nor the special court for offences in respect of banks, Karachi, had jurisdiction to take cognizance of such offences.