ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested two individuals allegedly involved in an international cricket gambling and match-fixing network.

The arrested suspects have been identified as Mujeeb ur Rehman and Zahid Ali. Both were taken into custody from Islamabad, while separate cases have been registered against them at the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle in the federal capital.

According to the case details, Zahid Ali is a serving Sindh Police official and a professional cricketer who also worked as an umpire at the district level until 2021. Investigators revealed that he was involved in online cricket betting and had contacts with international female cricketers. He was also in contact with players based in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ghana and other African countries.

Zahid Ali reportedly introduced himself as a professional umpire and was operating through a WhatsApp group named World Cricket Law to connect with people involved in illegal betting. Authorities have also accused him of involvement in international money laundering activities.

Meanwhile, the second suspect, Mujeeb ur Rehman, was found to have links with gamblers in India, the UAE, Sri Lanka and Nepal. During the Sri Lanka Premier League, he was allegedly in contact with a franchise owner. FIA sources also confirmed that he had already received a notice from the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding suspicious activities.

The investigation further revealed that both suspects were involved in international betting networks and were also linked to human trafficking linked to cricket gambling operations.

In addition, the FIA stated that the accused were involved in preparing fake educational documents. Mobile phones and other digital devices have been seized and sent for forensic analysis as part of the ongoing investigation.

Further arrests in the case are expected.