FIA arrests RAW-backed hawala, hundi agent in raid

The Counter-Terrorism Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) unearthed another international network of the illegal hawala and hundi business and arrested a suspected RAW agent in Karachi on Tuesday.

The suspect, identified only as Junaid, has been accused of financing state enemies through an established hawala and hundi network in the city. He is the manager of a money exchange company and his arrest was made in a raid in the Dhoraji area. He is alleged to be a member of an international hawala and hundi mafia.

An FIA spokesperson, confirming the arrest, said the suspect was involved in distributing money among anti-state elements and Indian spies through the hawala and hundi network. The raiding team seized a laptop, a USB and a mobile phone from his possession.

The FIA spokesperson said the Mehmood Siddiqui group of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London used to give tasks to RAW agents in Karachi through email from India. He added that according to the IP address of the laptop seized, most of the emails were sent from New Delhi. The RAW agents would get funds after they got a code word ID.

This was the second major action taken by the FIA’s Counter-Terrorism Wing against anti-state elements in the recent days. On July 15, the FIA had arrested a key operative of a sleeper cell of Indian prime intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). The man was identified as Zafar, who was allegedly involved in sending money through illegal means hundi from Karachi.

The raid was conducted by a team of the FIA’s Anti-Terrorism Wing in Saddar, in light of ongoing questioning from suspected RAW agents already in custody. The suspect, named Yaseen, is a manager of a money exchange company and was involved in transferring moneyto the enemies of the state through hundi. The raiding team confiscated mobile phones, laptops and other important stuff. According to the FIA, money was being provided to anti-state elements through a secret international network of hawala/hundi operators.

RAW has been found active and involved in various terror activities in Karachi over the few months. The recent arrests made by the Karachi police also suggest that the RAW is using different anti-state groups operating in the city.

A few days ago, the police had arrested six members of a RAW-backed separatist group of Balochistan. They were the members of the same group that was behind the attacks on the Pakistan Stock Exchange and the Chinese consulate in Karachi. Earlier, several RAW-backed elements’ arrests were also made by the Special Investigation Unit. Among those arrested was a police officer associated with the MQM-L in Karachi, which suggested that RAW was using the MQM-L and separatist groups of Balochistan and Sindh.