RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has unearthed a major gold smuggling scam in Karachi involving Rs 35 billion and started investigation.

Sources said that the gold was smuggled on fake Customs clearance documents to evade the Custom authorities. The FIA has intercepted and checked the Customs documents along with foreign remittances data. The FIA took up the case and started investigation, they said. They said the Goldsmith Association of Karachi has threatened the FIA of dire consequence and if it did not stop the investigation they will go on strike.

The FIA informed Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in this regard and the Minister directed the FIA to conduct fair and transparent investigation into the scam without any pressure, they said.

Sources said the FIA Director General will meet the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) regarding the scam to know about the exact losses the national exchequer has suffered.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan while presiding over a meeting at the FIA headquarters said that the government will not let the FIA to be used for political gain. The FIA spokesman said that the minister directed the FIA high-ups to make the immigration system at airports further effective. He said the Cyber Crimes Wing of the FIA should be activated to deal with the emerging challenges and crimes. He asked the FIA to launch a countrywide crackdown against manufacturers of spurious drugs.

He said the Interior Minister further directed the FIA to computerize all its record and day to day working. The government will provide all required financial resources to the FIA, he said.

The Minister said that there was no place for corrupt elements in the FIA and asked its high-ups to identify sympathizers of criminals in the Federal Investigation Agency.

Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the process of new inductions in the FIA should be kept transparent.

FIA officials briefed the meeting about the performance of the organization. The meeting was informed that the FIA has averted the loss of Rs6.1 billion in 2013-14.