By Ejaz Arshad Cheema
ISLAMABAD: A gang of money launderers have allegedly opened indiscriminate firing on a team of Islamabad police and commercial banking circle of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) with sophisticated weapons when the cops carried out a raid on a house located in F-6/3 Sector to apprehend a notorious money hoarder, informed sources on Monday.
However, the cops of Islamabad police and FIA officials remained unhurt in the brazen armed attack and held the wanted accused Sheikh Murid Hussain, they said.
A case has been registered against the accused and the females residing in the house with Police Station (PS) Kohsar under sections 324/506ii/353/186/148/149 and 427 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on complaint of SI Muhammad Jamil, sources said.
Police also seized illegal weapon and 25 dead shells of Kalashnikov and 30 bore pistols from crime scene and shifted the accused to police station for further investigation, they added. Raids are being carried out to round up the fleeing members of money laundering gang.
According to sources, SI Muhamamd Jamil, who is posted in PS Kohsar, submitted a plaintiff with Station House Officer (SHO) stating police along with FIA officials raided the house number 56 in Street 27 of Sector F-6/2 to arrest the owner of Fair Deal Money Exchange Sheikh Murid Hussain in connection with inquiry of illegal hoarding foreign currency at 10:30pm on September 10.
He added the officers of FIA made accoutrement that they have search warrants on which some armed persons appeared from inside the house who opened indiscriminate firing on police cops and FIA officials.
Nonetheless, the cops narrowly escaped the deadliest armed attack by 4 to 5 men who later on managed to escape from the back side of the house, the police officer mentioned in the plaintiff.
He was of view that the females residing in the house also showed resistance to cops of police and FIA officials when they entered inside the house for searching. A man namely Sheikh Murid Hussain was also overwhelmed by the police cops from whom a Kalashnikov was also recovered.
The arms holder could not produce the license of weapon upon demanding by the police. Police also seized 25 dead shells from crime scene and held the accused Sheikh Murid Hussain, he said while requesting SHO to file a case against the accused for attacking police and FIA teams. A case has been registered against the accused while further investigation was on.
A source disclosed to The Nation that FIA held Sheikh Murid Hussain and his son Sheikh Ali Hussain besides recovering foreign currency from the house.
On the other hand, a court of law reportedly sent Sheikh Murid Hussain to Adiala Jail on 14 days judicial magistrate remand when police produced him before a magistrate for obtaining his physical remand.
Also, Commercial Banking Circle of FIA, led by Assistant Director Mehak Gull, carried out a raid on Paracha Traders in Raja Bazaar and arrested four persons involved in illegal money exchange, according to FIA HQs spokesman.
He said the accused were running illegal money exchange without having license/permission of State Bank of Pakistan.
The detained accused have been identified as Abdul Rahman Paracha, Bilal Kalim, Tauseef Ahmed and Muhammad Navid against whom a case was also registered. He said FIA recovered Pakistani and foreign currency worth Rs 3 million from possession of the accused. DG FIA appreciated the efforts of AD FIA CBC Mehak Gull and her team for netting accused involved in illegal money exchange business.
