GUJRAT: An additional district and sessions court on Wednesday convicted three suspects involved in running an illegal business of foreign currency in Gujrat.

Judge Abid Raza Khan also imposed a fine of Rs15,000 each on Muhammad Shoaib, Sharjeel and Muhammad Imran who had been booked in case number 125/24 of Gujrat circle of Federal investigation Agency under section 4, 5, 8, 23 of FERA 1947.

Besides imposing the fine, the judge also ordered confiscation of foreign currency worth 200 Euros and 235 Saudi Riyals.

The convicts were involved in running illegal business of hundi/hawala. A raid was conducted by FIA Gujrat team on informer’s report resulting in recovery of foreign as well as local currency and arrest of Shoaib who, later on, disclosed the names of other two persons as his partners in crime. Meanwhile, the FIA claimed to have arrested four human traffickers during a crackdown in Gujrat and Gujranwala regions.

A spokesman for FIA said Basharat Hussain of Kharian tehsil has been arrested in case number 52/2025, under sections 17/22 EO 1979 and 3/6 PSMA 2018.

The suspect has extorted an amount of Rs6 million from the complainant for sending her brother and cousin to Italy for employment. However, the accused person sent the intending emigrants to Libya where the agents told the passengers that they would go to Italy by boat but the immigrants refused and returned to Pakistan.

Similarly, he said agent namely Shazaib alias Sonu of Muridke, Sheikhupura, has been arrested in different cases.

The suspect extorted Rs8m from each of the complainant for sending the immigrants to Canada on employment visa. Later on, the emigrants were sent to Iran and extorted amount and did not send them to Canada.

The other arrested trafficker is Shahid Rasool of Gujranwala in a case lodged against him.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2025