ISLAMABAD – The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has claimed to havetracked down Rs33 billion trail, making a major headway in its ongoingprobe into a multi-billion money-laundering scam.

According to FIA sources, the agency has obtained details pertaining toRs33 billion of the Rs35 billion allegedly laundered through fake bankaccounts. The details relate to when and how the amount was laundered,which of the fictitious accounts were used to send the money abroad, andwho the recipients were.

The FIA is investigating 32 people in relation to money laundering fromfictitious accounts, including former president Asif Ali Zardari and hissister Faryal Talpur. Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested inJuly this year in connection with the probe, whereas Omni Group chairmanAnwar Majeed and his son, Abdul Ghani Majeed, were also taken into custodyearlier this month.

A joint investigation team constituted by the FIA to probe the scam held ameeting in Islamabad on Monday, where the latest breakthroughs werediscussed, sources said.

The sources shared that Anwar Majeed is being interrogated regarding thealleged transactions, and in most of his responses he has said “the chieffinancial officer would know”.

The agency, in its recent raids at the sugar mills owned by the Omni Groupin Badin, confiscated computer hard-disks along with other records andweapons, the sources added. A total of 27 disks were recovered, including avirtual storage device which contains data on all the mills. Two digitalvideo recorders were also seized during the raids.

The confiscated hard-disks are protected by passwords, and decoding them istaking time, the sources informed.