Pakistan's FIA Launches Dedicated Cryptocurrency Investigation Unit to Combat Money Laundering

According to FIA counter-terrorism chief Dr Muhammad Athar Waheed, Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency has recently established a dedicated cryptocurrency investigation unit within its newly operational National Command and Control Centre (NC3) to tackle money laundering and terrorism financing conducted through virtual currencies.

The unit will investigate criminal use of crypto while the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) handles digital asset regulation. Waheed also urged two other agencies—the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency and the Anti-Narcotics Force—to establish similar units to counter crypto's use in cybercrime and drug trafficking. The move reflects Pakistan's broader push to formalize the crypto sector, which has included lifting an eight-year banking ban, creating PVARA, and advancing exchange licenses.