The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is dillydallying to issue notices to the officials from Airport Security Force (ASF), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and customs department, who are reportedly involved in facilitating arms smuggling from Karachi airport, raising transparency issue against the agency, it is learnt here on Tuesday.
According to sources, the corporate crime branch of FIA had received information from International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), which revealed that a passenger Mumtaz-ud-din, travelling from Australia, was bringing illegal weapons with him for smuggling.
Reacting to this information, the staff of corporate crime branch of FIA had conducted raid at airport and took the said passenger into custody from an airplane on August 21, 2014 midnight. Sources said the FIA staff during examination of Mumtaz's luggage recovered several unassembled 9mm pistols. Consequent upon recovery of parts of pistols, a case was registered against him and he is presently under jail custody.
Moreover, sources said the detained person during investigation revealed that before his arrest, he had successfully delivered 30 consignments of pistols in connivance with the officials from ASF, CAA and customs department. "There are unconfirmed reports that the accused officers, who are blamed by the detained arms smuggler, are being contacted by FIA officers for securing 'personal' gains," sources said.
"Therefore, the FIA after the lapse of almost a month does not extend the scope of investigation to these officers." Replying to a question, sources confirmed the FIA had so far neither issued hearing notice to any officer nor approached informally for interrogation.
When this correspondent approached Deputy Director FIA Nadeem Bukhari to discuss the issue, the latter was reluctant to face the reporter, who had been waiting at his office for almost two hours for his comments. Needless to mention, the customs department had dispelled the impression of arms smuggling through airports and seaports during hearing on Karachi violence case in the Supreme Court.
The department before the apex court had declared Sohrab Goth, Jannat Colony, Machhar Colony and Yousuf Goth as safe heavens for drugs, arms, POL products where contraband items were brought from Afghan and Iran borders. However, it has now been established that 9mm pistols, which are widely used in almost all target killing incidents in Karachi, are being smuggled through city airport.