ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has initiated a probe against Hareem Shah, TikTok star for her alleged involvement in money laundering. Hareem Shah has herself claimed that she had travelled from Pakistan to the United Kingdom with a substantial amount of foreign exchange.
In her video Hareem Shah is sitting on chair with two stacks of British Pounds Sterling lying on the table. She uploaded this video first on Snack Video platform and then on other networks. In other words, Hareem Shah herself has invited FIA to begin a money laundering probe against her. In this case, London police can also initiate action against Ms Shah in money laundering case.
A passenger can bring any amount of any foreign currency to Pakistan but taking out foreign currencies is permitted up to $10,000 only.
Lamenting the recent depreciation of the Pakistani currency, Shah also said that people feel “sad” when they get rupees converted into euros or dollars.
“The government had promised to increase the value of the currency, increase the value of the [Pakistani] passport, but they didn’t do anything. They could only talk,” she said.
The TikTok star then went on to say that those intending to travel with significant sums of money should be “careful”. “They catch you,” she said, adding that there was a difference in her case.
She said, “Nobody said anything to me and, you know, they cannot. I came very easily because in Pakistan the laws are only for the poor.”
After Shah’s video was widely shared on social media, a spokesperson for Sindh FIA said in a statement that a money laundering inquiry had been initiated against her.
According to the statement, Shah had travelled from Karachi international airport to Doha, Qatar on January 10.
“The FIA has decided to write a letter to the UK’s National Crime Agency to take action against Hareem Shah whose real name is Fiza Husain,” the statement said
It added that “the transfer of currency through illegal means falls in the ambit of money laundering.”
The FIA statement said the inquiry against Hareem Shah has been initiated under laws relating to the foreign exchange laws and her “visa, immigration, and travel documents record have been obtained.”
This is not the first time Hareem Shah has created troubles for herself. In October 2019, authorities had launched an inquiry when she had shared videos of herself in the conference room at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The development had raised eyebrows, questions, tempers and concerns regarding security on social media. Later, Shah had said that she had entered the conference room after getting permission.
