The Federal Investigation Agency has expanded a money-laundering investigation into Pakistan’s media sector, summoning the company secretary of Hum Network and examining records from several other reputed institutions as part of what investigators say may represent less than five percent of a broader illegal financial network allegedly run by media owners.
The inquiry began with what appeared to be a routine enforcement action. The FIA Commercial Banking Circle Karachi raided the Zamzama branch of JS Bank over allegations of hawala and hundi operations and illegal foreign currency sales. During that raid, JS Bank area manager Nauman Rauf was arrested along with several associates in connection with the illegal sale of $15,000. What investigators found on Rauf’s personal mobile phone changed the scope of the case entirely, shifting the investigation firmly toward Pakistan’s media industry.
Ten million UAE dirhams were transferred through the hawala system and later disbursed from the Zamzama branch of JS Bank, according to investigators. A second network involving hawala transfers and illegal dollar trading, also conducted through JS Bank, was uncovered during subsequent raids.
The logistics of the operation were deliberately designed to obscure Pakistani identities. Riders involved in the cash movement used SIM cards registered in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Dubai, and Singapore, with no Pakistani numbers used anywhere in the chain. Authorities are working to trace these individuals, with investigators noting that some names may be aliases, though call and message records exist on the numbers.
Investigators say the network has been operating quietly for at least three years. According to sources within the FIA, what has been uncovered so far represents less than five percent of the overall money-laundering network allegedly run by media owners, with the investigation expected to expand significantly once full company records are obtained and analysed. More prominent names are expected to emerge as the inquiry progresses into what is being described internally as a multi-billion-rupee scandal.
