MULTAN, Aug 27: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Wednesday arrested four men who allegedly withdrew $30,000 by hacking into the computer system of a financial institution.

Among the arrested is an employee of the Multan General Post Office, whereas the defrauded institution is the Western Union Money Transfer.

Reportedly, one Muhammad Nazeer, having national identity card No 501-83-520340 withdrew Rs0.5m from the Karachi Sadar GPO under money transfer number 370585819 of the Western Union on July 1, 2003. But, later on, it was revealed that all the particulars of the man, including his national identity card number, telephone number and residential address, were fake.

The Western Union informed the Pakistan Postal Services Department that the amount had been withdrawn through the password of the Multan GPO.

A departmental inquiry revealed that a clerk of the Multan GPO, Muhammad Tahir, had once brought one Iftikhar Khan to the Express Post Unit to redress the growing problem of virus in the EPU system. Tahir also demonstrated the procedure of money transfer through the Western Union to the so-called computer expert, Iftikhar Khan.

Iftikhar accessed the EPU system and copied the Western Union programme and its password as well. He started hacking information about money transfer through the Western Union service and initially arranged withdrawal of $30,000 from various areas.

He was also an employee at a local internet cafe, Fast Internet Club, owned by Raza Hassan Naqvi and Zafar Iqbal. FIA has arrested Tahir, Iftikhar, Raza Hassan and Zafar.boycott: A meeting of Punjab Excise and Taxation Minister with local traders over the issue of property tax ended in a fiasco here on Wednesday.

Dr Shafiq Chaudhry’s remarks that the traders should not become leader of the masses irked the business community and they boycotted the meeting, chanting slogans against the minister.

Later on, the minister addressed a press conference and said that the people who had disrupted the meeting had nothing to do with the traders’ cause.

He announced the formation of a 10-member committee under the chairmanship of Multan City Tehsil Nazim Faisal Mukhtar to remove objections of traders and other sections of society against the new system of property tax.

On the other hand, Pakistan Traders Alliance Chairman Khwaja Muhammad Shafiq announced a shutterdown strike on Sunday to condemn the ‘conduct’ of the minister. PTA leaders will also address a press conference on Thursday.