LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested a man who was allegedly posing as an FIA sub-inspector. He was wearing the agency’s uniform and using its badges.
The FIA’s Anti-Corruption Circle arrested him at the office of the Lahore Electric Supply Company’s (LESCO) Raiwind Division.
An FIA spokesperson identified the suspect as Rizwan. He allegedly presented himself as a sub-inspector, using an FIA uniform and FIA badges.
During the raid, the FIA team recovered the following from the suspect which includes an FIA uniform, investigation insignia, sub-inspector rank pips, a fake FIA file, and other documents.
The team also took other important evidence into custody.
The FIA has not said why the suspect was at the LESCO office or whether he had tried to use his claimed authority there. Those questions are expected to form part of the ongoing investigation.
According to the FIA Lahore spokesperson, a case has been registered under Section 419 of the Pakistan Penal Code, and further investigation is under way.
Section 419 covers cheating by personation, which means pretending to be someone else in order to deceive. It carries a sentence of up to seven years in prison, a fine, or both.
People who pose as law enforcement officers can threaten, extort or defraud members of the public and government employees. They rely on the fear and deference that an official uniform commands.
A fake FIA file is especially worrying because it suggests the suspect may have used invented “inquiries” to put pressure on people. The FIA does conduct investigations into government departments, including power distribution companies.
This is not the first impersonation case in the city. Only this week, a woman in Township alleged that armed men claiming to be CCD personnel raided her home and robbed her at gunpoint.
The FIA has also been active against fraud in Lahore. Its recent cases include three agents arrested outside the Garden Town passport office and a fake NADRA website broken up, with 3TB of citizens’ data recovered.
Law enforcement officials advise the public to ask anyone claiming to be an official for identification. People can also confirm with the agency directly before cooperating with any inquiry.
Genuine FIA officers carry official service cards. Citizens and government staff can check an officer’s identity through the FIA’s official helpline or its regional offices.
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