Fake UK university fee scam, FIA arrests suspect in Hundi-Hawala case

ISLAMABAD – The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Currency Banking Circle Islamabad has arrested one suspect in a crackdown against an alleged illegal Hundi-Hawala network operating under the guise of collecting fees for a British university.

According to FIA officials, Case No. 42/2025 has been registered in which Muhammad Mubashir son of Muhammad Shabbir has been arrested. Efforts are underway to arrest three other suspects.

According to the investigation, Hamza Faisal, Abid Hussain Butt, Uzair Qureshi and Muhammad Mubashir allegedly received a total of Rs. 5.62 million from Asad Ali, a resident of Bahria Town, Rawalpindi.

The FIA said the money was collected in the name of paying tuition fees for Asad Ali’s son, Shabih-ul-Hassan at the University of Lancaster in the UK. The suspects allegedly assured the family that the amount would be transferred to the university through official banking channels. However, the investigation allegedly revealed that the money was transferred through an illegal Hundi-Hawala network.

The matter came to light when the University of Lancaster’s Finance Department sought information about the person who had submitted the fee but found no record of the payment. Later, in April 2024, the university reportedly returned the amount to an unknown source.

The FIA has assigned Sub-Inspector Hassan to conduct further investigations into the case.

According to officials, the case has been registered under Section 406 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Sections 5 and 23 of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA), 1947.

The FIA Islamabad Zone spokesperson said the agency is committed to taking action against individuals involved in Hundi-Hawala networks and illegal financial transactions. FIA officials said efforts are also underway to arrest the remaining three suspects named in the case.