PESHAWAR, Oct 7: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Friday arrested a South African national who was trying to dupe a local businessman by posing as business attaché of his embassy in Islamabad.

Officials told Dawn that John Cain David was spotted at the Karkhano market where he had been invited to strike a business deal with Mohammad Shakeel, a local pharmaceutical company owner.

He was immediately arrested and brought to the FIA headquarters in Hayatabad township, said FIA Inspector Tariq Pervez. The man resisted the arrest by showing a diplomatic card of the South African Embassy in Islamabad, he added.

The South African embassy was contacted and given details about David. But the embassy denied having anything to do with the man, the FIA official said.

He has been booked under section 419, 420, 468/471 of the Pakistan Penal Code and 14 Foreigners Act.

The Special Investigation Group (SIG) had detected an email of David with Shakeel in which the former offered the Pakistani businessman to launch a joint business venture in the Karkhano bazaar, the FIA official said.

David asked Mr Shakeel to establish a factory with a $9 million investment. He promised to invest half the amount.

The SIG detected the emails of both and informed the crime circle of FIA to take immediate action before Mr Shakeel lost his money.

The FIA first took Mr Shakeel into confidence and sought his cooperation in getting David arrested, the official said, adding that the businessman helped the agency in the arrest of the impostor.

The South African might have ripped off other Pakistanis as well, the official said.

“We are hopeful that more details about his illegal activities would emerge during the interrogation,” he said.

A PPI report said that preliminary investigation showed that the accused had links with an international gang which had been cheating unsuspecting people in different parts of the world, he said.

The FIA immigration cell on Friday arrested a resident of Sadda in the Kurram Agency when he was trying to board a Pakistan International Airline flight to Dubai on forged documents.

Nawab Khan, son of Khilwat Khan, came to the immigration counter for checking his passport No KD-249597. On suspicion, the on-duty officer stopped him from boarding the PK 283 flight to Dubai.

During preliminary interrogation, Nawab Khan admitted to using the passport of his elder brother, Lal Khan, who had returned from Dubai a few months ago, said assistant director immigration Inamullah Khan Gandapur.

Lal Khan had purchased ticket from Dubai and had a plan to dodge immigration staff at the Peshawar airport through this ploy. But Nawab Khan failed as his facial features differed from those of his elder brother, Mr Gandapur added.

He said that the accused was sent to FIA passport circle where a case had been registered against him.