QUETTA: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested a currency dealer for running an illegal business of foreign exchange.

The FIA conducted a raid here at Bukhari Centre on Friday evening and arrested Mohammad Zakaryia, a resident of the Haji Ghaibi road area, but his accomplice Mohammad Hussein Hazara managed to escape.

The FIA officials sear­ched the currency shop and recovered Pakistani currency worth Rs2.978 million and foreign currency, including the US dollars and the UAE dirhams.

They also seized a mobile phone containing WhatsApp and voice messages through which illegal sale and purchase of huge foreign currencies was done.

During the interrogation, the suspect admitted that he and Mohammad Hussein Hazara had been doing illegal forex business for more than three years, the FIA officials said.

They said a case had been registered under the Foreign Exchange Regulations Act and efforts were being made to arrest the absconding accused.

A senior FIA officer said that the investigation had been started and more arre­sts were possible in the case.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2022