QUETTA: The Federal Invest­igation Agency (FIA), Balochistan Zone, has busted a gang involved in the illegal hawala-hundi business and arrested five suspects during a crackdown launched in Quetta agai­nst unlawful foreign currency trade.

An FIA official stated that the team, after collecting intelligence, conducted multiple raids. During these operations, the suspects were arrested, and local and foreign currencies were recovered, along with laptops and other financial records related to the illegal currency business.

A spokesperson for the agency said on Sunday that the operation was carried out on the orders of FIA Director General Riffat Mukhtar Raja as part of a broader effort to tighten the noose around networks involved in illegal money transfers and unlicensed currency exchange operations.

FIA teams conducted raids in various areas of Quetta and Chaman, a town bordering Afghanistan, and ap­p­r­ehended five suspects identified as Akmal Khan, Saifullah, Bashir Ahm­ed, Abdul Qayyum, and Abdullah.

Five arrested; foreign currencies recovered

From the suspects’ possession, the FIA recovered Rs684,000 and foreign currencies, including 230.5 million Iranian riyals, over 135,000 Afghanis, $700, 200 Saudi riyals, and AUD 150.

Additionally, the FIA seized checkbooks, receipts of illegal transactions, and bank deposit slips. The spokesperson stated that the accused were operating currency exchange businesses without valid licenses and failed to provide satisfactory explanations regarding the recovered amounts.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2025