Daily Times

Toronto: Two Pakistani-Canadians have been arrested by Canadian authorities for committing fraud of more $1.1 million.

Wajid Ali Khan and Nadeem Imtiaz Ahmed, residents of Mississauga area of Toronto, were under investigation by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) since January 2015 when complaints were received against them. The police said that complainants alleged that Khan and Ahmed took their money saying that they would invest in lucrative real estate projects in Pakistan.

Khan, 71, faces seven charges, including three counts of false pretence, three counts of fraud and a count of using a forged document. Ahmed faces five charges including two counts of false pretence, two counts of fraud, and one count of using a forged document.

Under Canadian law, the punishment for false pretence and forging documents can be up to 10 years of jail term, respectively, and for fraud up to two years of jail term.

According to the RCMP media office, an investigation known as Project Alcazar was carried out against the accused before the police proceeded with their arrest. It was led by RCMP National Division’s sensitive and international investigative unit.

“The RCMP believes the two men fraudulently borrowed more than $1.1 million from their personal contacts in Canada, telling their victims they were using the money to purchase investment properties on their behalf in Pakistan”, said the media office.

The media office further said several offences were investigated against the accused. “As with any financial crime investigation, additional charges may be laid if more victims come forward.”

Responding to a query emailed by Daily Times, the RCMP said that at the moment they were aware of three victims of the scam, all of whom were of Indo-Canadian background. “More victims may come forward following news of these arrests.”

In a message for the general public, the RCMP said March was being observed as a fraud prevention month and the RCMP would like to remind Canadians to educate themselves about various types of frauds so they could avoid becoming victims. “Recognising a scam prevents it from happening,” said Superintendent Denis Desnoyers, the officer in charge of RCMP National Division Criminal Operations. “Swindlers claim affiliation with reliable sources, provide believable answers to tough questions and hide the truth in the fine print. Protect yourself with the facts and be skeptical whenever a deal seems too good to be true,” he added.

National Division’s Sensitive and International Investigations unit focuses on criminal activity that poses a threat to Canada’s government institutions, public officials, the integrity of the crown, or crimes that imperil Canada’s political, economic and social integrity.

One of the accused, Wajid Ali Khan, is former Mississauga-Streetsville MP and a retired Pakistan Airforce pilot.

Khan made headlines in 2007 when he left the Liberal Party and crossed the floor to join the Conservatives, and then left politics in 2009 altogether.

He crossed the floor so he could continue acting as a special adviser to the-then prime minister Stephen Harper on the Middle East and Central Asia.

He was a prominent voice in the GTA’s Pakistani and Muslim communities.

Khan was first elected to the House of Commons in 2004 and again in 2006 as a Liberal.

When Khan retired from politics, he said he would spend his time promoting Canadian businesses worldwide, and managing his assets in the GTA, Edmonton and Pakistan.

He served as an officer and pilot in the Pakistani Air Force from 1966 to 1973.

Published in Daily Times, March 30^th 2018.