- UK money laundering probe
LONDON/KARACHI: Britain’s National Crime Agency said on Monday it has arrested a former Pakistani ‘politically exposed person’ in connection with alleged money laundering in the UK believed to be a result of corruption in Pakistan.
A press release from the NCA’s International Corruption Unit said it had arrested the man, in his 40s, and his wife, aged in her 30s in an investigation supported by Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau Continued on page 7
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(NAB) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
The couple, who were arrested in Surrey, control a UK property portfolio worth more than £8m for which they appear to have no legitimate source of income.
The man and his wife were questioned by NCA officers and have now been released under investigation, said the press release.
Sources said that the couple was arrested three days ago and kept in detention for as many as 36 hours before being released.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Shehzad Akbar said that the person detained is a former public office holder, who fled from Pakistan and invested money in London.
He said that the Pakistani government was assisting the NCA from last seven days, adding that the Pakistani government will request a formal claim if the arrested person’s assets are frozen by the UK government.
Akbar said that over 30 similar cases have been identified in the United Arab Emirates. -Agencies
