FIA busts BISP corruption network in Hyderabad

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Crime Circle Hyderabad has uncovered a major corruption network involving the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) in Tando Bago, Badin district.

Eleven suspects have been arrested for allegedly embezzling funds, making illegal deductions from beneficiaries, and misusing BISP devices.

During a joint operation, FIA teams seized 16 biometric devices, six plastic thumb-impression tokens, mobile phones, a register, and over Rs2.29 million in cash.

Among those arrested are four BISP employees and seven pay retailers. The FIR also names BISP District Director Badin Tufail Channa, franchise owner Abdul Ghafoor Chandio, and Dadan Samo for their alleged role in the scheme.

According to the FIA, several registered device holders, including Mumtaz Ali, Altaf Hussain, Karim Dad, Alhano, Ijaz Ali, and Rajab, lodged complaints claiming that their devices were blocked without reason despite paying monthly fees.

They alleged that district officials, franchise operators, and bank staff colluded to extort money and manipulate payments.

The FIR states that some devices belonging to retailers were missing from the site and were allegedly being used illegally. One suspect, Altaf Hussain Samo, told investigators that his cousin, Dadan Samo, issued multiple agent IDs under different names and forced him to operate using fake thumb tokens after his own device was blocked.