Bureau of Diplomatic Security
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 18, 2006

On April 7, 2006 U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security special agents (DS) in Islamabad and Lahore, Pakistan, located and assisted in the arrest of Syed Raza Ali, aka Bokhari. Bokhari is wanted in the Eastern District of Wisconsin for fraud charges and laundering money in excess of $1 million.

In September 2004, Bokhari was indicted in the Eastern District of Wisconsin on numerous counts of mail fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and international money laundering and aiding and abetting international money laundering.  If convicted, Bokhari may be sentenced to a fine twice the amount of his $1 million transaction and/or imprisonment up to 20 years.

After being informed of a pending arrest warrant for Bokhari, DS special agents in Lahore, Pakistan, located the subject and coordinated his arrest and transfer to Islamabad with Pakistan’s Federal Investigative Agency (FIA). Bokhari will have an administrative hearing by a Pakistani Magistrate and will be detained by Pakistan’s FIA pending extradition proceedings which, if successful, would permit his transfer to the United States.

The Bureau of Diplomatic Security is the worldwide law enforcement and security arm of the U.S. Department of State with special agents assigned to U.S. diplomatic missions overseas and field offices throughout the United States. Diplomatic Security special agents conduct passport and visa fraud investigations worldwide and are responsible for security at 285 U.S. diplomatic facilities around the world.