Pakistani Police Detain FBI Agent

An American who allegedly attempted to board a plane with ammunition and knives was Wednesday questioned by Pakistani police after US authorities said an FBI agent on an anti-corruption taskforce had been arrested there.

Pakistani police officer Rao Anwaar however declined to say whether the detained American was the FBI agent.

According to him, investigators had not received any written evidence proving the man worked for the US Embassy in Pakistan.

The American arrived in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, on May 1 and was detained on Monday when he was about to board a flight for Islamabad, Anwaar said.

He said officials found the man carrying ammunition and three knives, as well as electronic devices that were being examined.

“We have sent his laptop and other gadgets for forensic examination,” Anwaar said. He declined to comment further.

A law enforcement official in the US identified the man as an FBI agent and said he was in Pakistan as part of a multi-agency, anti-corruption programme.

The official said the agent appeared to have made a mistake and that there was no indication he was trying to carry bullets aboard the plane.

The official said authorities were hopeful the situation would be resolved soon with the agent’s release.

The official, who did not provide the agent’s name or age, spoke on condition of anonymity because of the diplomatic sensitivities of the case.