FIA uncovers billions in hidden currency in Rawalpindi

 The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Banking Circle has unearthed a cache of foreign and local currency amounting to billions of rupees concealed within a plaza in Shamsabad, Rawalpindi. The operation, part of a broader crackdown on informal and potentially illicit money transfer methods across borders, has taken an unexpected twist, leading to the detention of two individuals and a dispute over the custody of the recovered funds.

After a week of intensive surveillance, FIA investigators pinpointed an under-construction house nestled within a residential area. During the meticulously executed operation, a concealed space behind a small iron gate was uncovered in the parking area of a double basement within the plaza. Inside this covert chamber lay 13 imposing iron lockers, each harboring substantial sums of foreign and local currency. While the exact value remains undisclosed, initial reports suggest it runs into billions of rupees.

The gravity of the fund was amplified by the apprehension of two individuals during the operation. However, tensions escalated when a disagreement flared up between the FIA team and the plaza owner, Sheikh Iftikhar Adil. Sheikh Adil staunchly advocated for the funds to remain on-site, contending that their presence was legitimate, while the FIA team insisted on their confiscation for secure handling.

 In a bid to mediate the dispute, the FIA summoned police assistance. A preliminary report detailing the operation has been submitted to higher authorities for thorough examination.