PESHAWAR: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Anti-Corruption Circle Peshawar on Thursday arrested an impersonator posing as an officer of the agency and blackmailing the government officials and general public.

According to FIA spokesman, the accused, Sajjad Hussain, a resident of district Haripur, was caught red-handed from in front of the NAB KP building, while the FIA team comprising sub-inspectors Naheed Bilal and Mohammad Sohail and constable Mushtaq recovered two mobile phones, several fake CNICs and counterfeit service card of FIA and illegal weapon from his custody.

The accused posing as an FIA deputy director was involved in taking cash, gold and precious goods from the government officials and general public in fake inquiries.

The accused was a motor mechanic by profession and had already served more than five years in jail in a similar case filed against him in Abbottabad.

During the initial investigation, the accused revealed that he used to contact the government officials through different WhatsApp numbers and demand gold, precious mobile phones and cash in the name of fake inquiries against them.

He was arrested on the identification of a complainant whom he had been blackmailing for a long time.

Meanwhile, a judicial magistrate on Thursday granted two-day physical remand of the fake deputy director to Federal Investigation Agency.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2023