The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Immigration on Monday detained three passengers at Jinnah International Airport over a suspicious travel plan linked to an alleged human smuggling attempt.
The detained passengers were identified as Muzammil Ali, Muhammad Arsalan and Muhammad Owais. According to officials, the passengers were scheduled to arrive in Pakistan via Ethiopia after travelling from Zambia. Initial investigations revealed that the passengers were attempting to reach South Africa through illegal channels. Ali allegedly paid Rs1.8 million to an agent named Naveed, based in Gujrat, to arrange illegal travel. Meanwhile, Muhammad Arsalan and Muhammad Owais reportedly paid $3,000 each to another agent identified as Nadeem.
Investigators found that the passengers had stayed in Tanzania for approximately one and a half months before illegally entering Zambia. They later planned to move onward to South Africa through illegal routes.
According to officials, Zambian authorities arrested the passengers over illegal travel and subsequently deported them. Upon arrival in Karachi, they were detained by FIA Immigration. The FIA had shifted the suspects to the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle, Karachi, for further investigation. An FIA spokesperson confirmed that further legal action was under way.
