Last year, Dubai resident Waseem Raza searched for ‘cheap cargo to Pakistan’ on Google, and the top result seemed promising.
Pakistan Raveed Alam Cargo Service offered budget-friendly door-to-door delivery at a fraction of the usual price. In just hours, a pickup truck arrived at his Silicon Oasis residence to collect five cartons packed with electronics, clothes, and cherished family heirlooms.
“They only charged me Dh300. I thought it was a great deal,” Raza remarked, adding, “Ironically, it was too good to be true.”
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‘My belongings were sold’
Months later, the cartons never reached Karachi, and the company disappeared. “I’ve filed a complaint with Dubai Police as I suspect my goods were sold instead of shipped,” Raza reported.
Initially, the company was widely promoted. Videos of the Sharjah warehouse opening, watched by Khaleej Times, depicted it as beneficial for UAE residents.
Balloons and confetti celebrated the launch as key figures posed for cameras, creating an image of reliability. Slick social media campaigns and free pickup deals bolstered its appeal. However, today, all its UAE contact numbers are inactive.
Valuables worth over Dh100,000 missing
Businessman Arsal Khan faced a similar ordeal. He and his family entrusted goods worth over Dh100,000 to Raveed, including a Rolex watch, a fridge, e-bikes, a washing machine, and valuable items like educational certificates and toys for his younger siblings.
“They charged Dh8,000 and assured delivery to our home in Wah Cantonment, near Rawalpindi, within three to four weeks,” Khan recounted.
Twenty months on, the shipment is still undelivered.
When his calls were ignored and the lines went dead, Khan visited the warehouse, finding it abandoned. He has since lodged complaints with both Dubai and Sharjah Police.
“Police later confirmed that the individual we dealt with had left the UAE in September 2024,” he shared with Khaleej Times.
Emotional significance of items
Banker Allaudin, meanwhile, lost Dh15,000 worth of designer clothes and shoes. For months, he was told the shipment was “stuck at Karachi port.” Eventually, his calls were not returned. He, too, visited the warehouse, which was sealed by local authorities.
Allaudin has joined a WhatsApp group of nearly 40 other customers claiming they were left in the lurch by Raveed. “The true number is likely much higher because many have resigned themselves to the loss,” he noted. “We estimate total losses at around Dh2 million.”
For Allaudin, the financial hit is intensified by the emotional value of the items. “Some of those clothes were limited editions, collected globally, even autographed. They held sentimental value.”
In Lahore, businessman Ahsan Ali awaits goods worth nearly Dh150,000, including heavy machinery, LCD stands, and solar and laptop batteries. He paid Dh25,000 for the shipment. “This represented years of hard work,” he said.
Disconnected numbers
Khaleej Times’ attempts to contact Raveed Alam Cargo Service using the UAE numbers on their promotional materials were unsuccessful — every number was disconnected. Efforts to reach the company’s owners in Pakistan also went unanswered. The Sharjah warehouse they operated has been leased to a new tenant.
This case is reminiscent of a 2019 incident when Dubai-based Noor Al Fajar Cargo similarly vanished with clients’ goods. Containers were reportedly left unclaimed at Karachi Port and later auctioned off to local businessmen.
Valuables worth thousands of dirhams, including filmmaking gear, children’s toys, and wedding albums, never reached their rightful owners.
