"I easily took the large sum out of the country."
Pakistani TikTok star Hareem Shah faces a money laundering probe after a viral video showed her posing with cash.
She had claimed that she travelled from Pakistan to the UK with a large sum of cash.
In the video, Hareem can be seen sitting down with what appears to be thousands of pounds.
She explains that it is the first time that she had carried a hefty amount of money to the UK.
Hareem says: “I was bringing a large amount from Pakistan to the UK for the first time.
“When bringing the amount, one must be careful because you might land yourself in trouble.
“No one stopped me because no one can. I easily took the large sum out of the country.”
According to the Federal Board of Revenue’s website, individuals are prohibited from taking more than $10,000 in cash outside of the country.
Criticising the depreciation of the Pakistani rupee, Hareem also said that people feel “sad” when they get rupees converted into euros or dollars.
She said: “The government had promised to increase the [value] of the currency, increase the [value] of the [Pakistani] passport, but they didn’t do anything. They could only talk.”
Hareem went on to say that she was able to take the cash out of the country as the laws only apply to the poor.
The video went viral and it led to the FIA stating that a money laundering probe had been launched.
She had travelled from Karachi to Doha, Qatar, on January 10, 2022.
The statement said: “The FIA has decided to write a letter to the UK’s National Crime Agency to take action against Hareem Shah whose real name is Fiza Hussain.”
It added that “the transfer of currency through illegal means falls in the ambit of money laundering”.
Hareem Shah later retracted her statement, denying that she took a large sum of cash to the UK.
She said: “I have not carried any money abroad. I just made a video to say so.”
This is not the first time that Hareem Shah has come under fire.
In October 2019, an inquiry was launched after she shared videos of herself in the conference room at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The incident raised questions regarding security.
Hareem later stated that she had entered the conference room after seeking permission.
She added: “They should not have allowed me to make a video if it was against rules and regulations.”
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