Six Arrested in Balochistan for Hawala, Illegal Currency Exchange; Millions in Foreign Currency Seized
Quetta: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested six suspects involved in hawala and illegal currency exchange operations in Balochistan, seizing millions in local and foreign currency.
According to an FIA spokesperson, the crackdown was launched under the directives of DG FIA Rifaat Mukhtar Raja as part of efforts to dismantle hawala and illegal currency exchange networks.
The arrested suspects — identified as Muhammad Zakaria, Nida Muhammad, Nazar Jan, Saeed Khan, Muhammad Yousaf, and Atiq Muhammad — were apprehended in separate raids conducted in Quetta and Chaman.
From the suspects, authorities recovered over PKR 300,000 in Pakistani currency, 1.7 million Iranian rials, 4,470 Afghanis, 1,000 Emirati dirhams, 51,000 Japanese yen, and 101 US dollars. FIA officials also seized mobile phones, registers, and other records used in hawala transactions.
The suspects failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the recovered cash, the spokesperson said, adding that investigations have been initiated.
