FIA gets 5-day physical remand of Armughan in money laundering case

An Anti-Terrorism Court has handed over Armughan Qureshi, the prime accused in the Mustafa Amir murder case, to the FIA on a five-day physical remand in a high-profile money laundering investigation. While appearing before the ATC at the Karachi Central Jail’s Anti-Terrorism Complex on Thursday, FIA sought physical remand of the accused. The court, however, directed FIA to first obtain an NOC from the relevant court before making a final decision on the remand plea.

Subsequently, FIA officials sought permission to secure the NOC. They argued that Armughan was implicated in multiple serious criminal cases and there was a need to extract crucial information regarding international financial fraud.

Investigators revealed that the accused was involved in laundering over Rs154 million, which was used to purchase luxury vehicles and high-value items. These transactions were allegedly facilitated by an associate, Afnan Ashraf.

According to the FIA’s petition, in 2018, Armughan had established an illegal call centre staffed by 25 operators. These staffers were reportedly engaged in fraudulent activities targeting victims in the United States, generating monthly revenues between $300,000 and $400,000.

Funds from these operations were funneled into an account under a US-registered company owned by Armughan and his father Kamran Qureshi. The FIA has found evidence linking the company to money laundering.