In a high-stakes chase through the premises of Customs Court Karachi, Customs PCA South team has successfully apprehended Rab Nawaz, the central figure in a colossal money laundering scandal linked to solar panel imports. Nawaz, accused of orchestrating a Rs 73 billion scam, was arrested amidst tense scenes after attempting to flee from the authorities.
The arrest occurred on the scheduled hearing day for M/s Brightstar, a company embroiled in the money laundering case and where Nawaz had already secured interim bail for charges involving Rs 47 billion. The fugitive, who had been reportedly dodging customs investigations and was facing calls for bail cancellation, made a daring attempt to evade capture.
As Nawaz’s hearing in the M/s Moonlight Trading SMC case concluded, customs officers moved in to arrest him. However, with backup from his personal guards and lawyers, Nawaz resisted and managed to momentarily slip back inside the court building to seek refuge.
The customs team maintained their vigil outside, awaiting a resolution. After a standoff lasting two hours, Nawaz’s legal representatives resurfaced, brandishing fresh interim bail orders from the Sindh High Court (SHC) and Customs Court in favor of the accused.
Undeterred, the patient officials spotted their chance as Nawaz later emerged from the court. A second attempt to detain him was met with threats, resistance, and yet another escape attempt, which saw him retreating into the court’s premises.
Persistence paid off for the customs personnel. After persevering through negotiations with Nawaz’s counsel, they were finally able to execute the arrest without capitulation, on the grounds of a third FIR warranting his detention.
Member Customs Operations, Dr. Farid Iqbal Qureshi, and Director-General PCA, Zulfiqar Ali Chaudhry had tasked Director PCA South to ensure arrest of the main accused in the solar panel scam. In compliance, Director PCA Sheeraz Ahmed formed a special team comprising of Assistant Director Aurangzeb Sultan, Senior Auditor Syed Ghazanfar, Appraising Officer Mujahid Iqbal, Inspectors Sadiq and Muhammad Asim who successfully managed to arrested the suspect, Rab Nawaz, while adeptly circumventing potential threats to public order.
Rab Nawaz is believed to be both the architect and a powerful influence behind the money laundering operation that saw substantial funds siphoned off overseas under the guise of fraudulent solar panel imports. The authorities expect that Nawaz’s apprehension will unravel further leads and help pinpoint additional responsible parties benefiting from the scam’s illicit proceedings.
The successful arrest underscores the tenacity of Pakistan’s Customs PCA team in their relentless pursuit of justice, particularly in cases of corruption at such a staggering scale. The ongoing investigation is set to continue, as the country awaits further revelations that may emerge from Nawaz’s custody in this major financial fraud case.