Karachi Confrontation

Shadows over bright fields - Part 1

Photo by Asim Mushtaq

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Introduction

Alice goes on TDY to the CIA

She flies to Karachi to investigate the money-laundering case

Wilshire Federal Building 11000 Wilshire Blvd

Previously on Bob and Alice - 

A Palantir analyst discovered clusters of anomalous activity in deposits and transfers in small community banks in Southern California.  Investigators at FinCEN subpoenaed the bank records and sent them to the FBI Los Angeles field office.

If you want to read that whole story, I don’t mind if you take a little break now.  It’s over here

Alice and Sam, her FBI boss, are in a meeting room with Ed, the CIA case officer.

Alice lays out her findings and suspicions.  She believes that JS Edwards is no longer in the country, although there are no records of a JS Edwards having left the US.   Her analysis suggests that JS Edwards is a hawaladar funding a network of agents in the US.

Ed, “I agree with you that there is a network operating in the US. We don’t know if they are Al Qaeda or Iranian.   Part of your mission is to help us identify who they’re working for.

We’re placing you on TDY (temporary duty assignment) to the CIA, since the case is now a global anti-terror funding investigation.

By the way, I understand that you speak fluent Russian”.

Alice, “How do you know that?”

Ed, “It’s in your FBI personal file.  I understand that your maternal grandmother brought you up speaking Russian.    In a moment, you’ll understand why this is important.

You’re going to Switzerland and Pakistan to follow the money trail.   

You have this week to finish your data collection and analysis.  Next week, we’re sending you to basic field training, and 3 weeks from now, you’ll fly to Karachi for your meeting with the Pakistani customs authorities.  In Pakistan, you’ll be Alice, the FBI lawyer.   You’ll be traveling with 3 passports - your personal US passport, a US government passport and a Russian Federation passport under the name Alice Kuznetsov.

In Zurich, you’ll use the persona of the ex-wife of a Russian oligarch, looking for a private banking institution to manage your money”.

The next 2 weeks fly by.

Alice, “I have a personal request.  Can I take some personal time off after the meeting in Zurich?  I’d like to spend the weekend in Rome with my boyfriend”.

Ed smiles,  “Of course that can be arranged.   You’ll be flying via Emirates.  LA-Dubai, Dubai-Karachi.  On the way back it will be Karachi-Dubai, Dubai-Zurich Zurich-LA.  

Rome will be on you.  

Alice, let’s be clear.  I’m your case officer.  I’m managing you in  this operation, providing necessary intelligence, ensuring your safety, and coordinating with the FBI and other agencies as required.     I know you improvised and posed as a National Geographic special project administrator.  Try not to do that again.   Stay with the plan. Stay on schedule. Get in, get out.  Keep your threat surface as small as possible”.

Wednesday in Karachi

 Alice  has a Wednesday 1100 meeting with Asif Iqbal from the Directorate of Post Clearance Audit Customs. 

The Emirates flight left LAX at 2:45 AM and arrived on-time in Karachi at 2:15PM.   A man is holding a sign - “Alice Fogelman”.    

She goes over to him, “Hey I’m Alice”.   

The driver says, “I’m Faisal Khan, I’m a driver with the US embassy”.  He flashes her his embassy identification.  

Alice, “Thank you. I was told that someone would meet me from the embassy”.

She checks into the hotel as Alice Kuznetzov and adopts a light Russian accent in her English.

Faisal Khan, picks her up at her hotel the next morning, “Sleep well?”

Alice, “I slept great.   That’s a pretty brutal flight, although I have to say that Emirates really takes good care of you”.

Faisal keeps up a running chatter as they drive to the meeting.   It’s hot and dry.   Faisal rolls down the windows. The air-conditioning is not working in the car.    The air has a distinct odor of traffic and diesel from the heavy car and bus traffic, mixed with salt-water smell from the ocean, undertones of dust that rises in the heat and spices from street food vendors selling biryani and kebab.  

Faisal, “Here we are.   I’ll be down here tomorrow at 10:00, waiting for you”.

She walks into the lobby of a modern government office building.  

A young woman is waiting for her in the lobby, “Mrs. Fogelman?  I’m Sana Mirza, Mr Iqbal’s personal assistant.”  

Sana takes Alice to the 12th floor to Asif Iqbal’s office.  She serves tea and closes the door.

Asif receives her with a practiced charm, standing as she enters and offering a firm, welcoming handshake. His demeanor is polished, exuding a warmth that is calculated yet convincing. He gestures for Alice to take a seat in front of his desk, where two cups of steaming tea await, a gesture of hospitality that is customary in Pakistani business meetings.

Asif, “Welcome to Karachi, Alice.  Have you ever been here before?”

Alice, “No - it's a powerful city isn’t it, the smells, the traffic”. 

They exchange business cards.  Alice hands Iqbal her FBI card - “Legal counsel - FBI Los Angeles”.

Iqbal is  in his late forties. He has deep-set, keen eyes that give him a look of both intelligence and intensity. His hair is salt and pepper, closely cropped to a neat style that complements a well-groomed beard. Asif is always impeccably dressed in tailored suits, favoring dark colors that add an extra layer of authority.

Asif’s office is located on the upper floor of a modern government building in Karachi. The office is spacious and elegantly furnished, reflecting his high rank within the Pakistani Customs Directorate. The walls are full with awards and certificates, showcasing his career achievements. A large window offers a panoramic view of the bustling city below, and his big walnut desk is neatly organized with stacks of files and papers. 

After some small talk about the weather they move on to the subject of the meeting.

Iqbal opens the conversation.

Iqbal, “As you probably know already, we uncovered massive trade-based money laundering scams involving the import of solar panels  This was back in 2010.  About the same time as your Solyndra scandal during the Obama administration.  Over $300 million in black money was illegally funneled overseas under the pretext of payments for imported solar panels. This involved over-invoicing, use of shell companies, and misdeclaration of import values. 

Our investigation revealed that only 63 importers out of a total of 450 were involved in this fraud.

Two major companies, Bright Star Business Solution and Moonlight Traders, were found to have laundered over $230M and $5M respectively through over-invoicing and transferring funds to Dubai, Singapore and Switzerland. 

Several commercial banks were found to have facilitated these illicit fund transfers without proper due diligence and approvals. 

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) have taken action, registering multiple FIRs and initiating legal proceedings against the implicated companies and individuals.

What is your interest in solar panel scams, Ms. Fogelman?”

Alice,  “We are looking into transactions between US banks and banks in Pakistan and Switzerland in the same timeframe as your solar panel scams.   We’ve seen a recent uptick in similar patterns of transactions. In the spirit of healthy collaboration between the US and Pakistan, we thought we should share data. We have reason to believe that some of the same banks are involved again”.

As the conversation stays on the topic of money laundering, Asif’s tone becomes more guarded, though he maintains a facade of openness. He speaks in a measured, almost rehearsed manner, detailing the complexities of trade-based money laundering involving solar panels. He uses technical jargon and references to specific cases to demonstrate his deep knowledge of the subject. However, his eyes occasionally darted to a file on his desk, betraying a hint of nervousness. As he discusses the efforts to combat these activities, there is a subtle shift in his voice—a mix of defensiveness and caution, suggesting that he might be more involved than he admits.

Throughout the meeting, Asif manages to keep a professional air, but Alice picks up on the performance. His polished exterior barely conceals his fear and tension.

Iqbal, “Mrs. Fogelman, thank you so much for meeting with me today.  It’s important for our governments to work together on the war against trade money-laundering.  If there is anything I can do to assist you, you can email me or phone me.  My contact information is on my card”.

Iqbal calls Sana to escort Alice out.

Faisal Khan, her driver, is waiting for her at the curb, “Meeting go well?”.

Alice is not sure if she can trust him,  “Meeting went very well.   I have the impression that the Pakistani government is committed to the war against international trade money-laundering”.

Faisal laughs, “If you say so.  I think that maybe 80% of government officials here are dirty.  That includes the person you met today in the Customs Directorate. I would be very careful around this guy.  When is your flight?”.

Alice, “My flight is tonight at 2:45 AM.  I have to be at Jinnah International at 12 midnight”.  

Faisal, “I’ll pick you up at 1130 PM”.

Her phone rings, it’s Ed, her case officer.

Ed, “Alice, how did it go with Iqbal?”

Alice, “He was hiding something.  The embassy driver says that he’s dirty”.

Ed, “I’m not surprised. It’s billion dollar stakes and he’s probably getting a cut to keep the bad guys out of the headlights. Listen, you must be very careful from now on and keep your phone on and next to you. It’s game time for you, Mrs. Kuznetzova”.