In a major crackdown, the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle (AHTC) of the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) raided a travel agency allegedly involved in illegally sending citizens abroad on the pretext of employment and collecting millions of rupees from unsuspecting victims.
Meanwhile, the immigration authorities also detained a passenger arriving at the Karachi airport after he was deported from Indonesia over an alleged attempt to illegally travel to Australia through a human smuggling network.
According to officials, the raid was conducted under the Inquiry No 406/26 at the office of a travel agency located on a building in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 13-A. A man identified as Andrews, son of Robert Masih, operations manager, was present at the office. He reportedly failed to produce any valid licence or legal authorisation for running the business.
A search of the premises led to the recovery of eight Pakistani passports, two cheque books, three official stamps, and multiple work agreements and documents pertaining to various foreign countries.
The preliminary inquiry revealed that the agency had allegedly been collecting hundreds of thousands to millions of rupees from innocent citizens on the promise of securing employment in Middle Eastern and Central Asian countries.
Officials said the suspects lured people with false assurances of overseas jobs and facilitated illegal migration. Investigators further disclosed that the brother of the agency’s owner, identified as Imran Masih, was allegedly operating a similar business in the United Arab Emirates — a claim supported by a visiting card recovered during the raid.
The suspect was arrested and shifted to the FIA AHTC Karachi police station. Raids are under way to apprehend other individuals involved in the network.
Deported passenger
A passenger, identified as Adnan, resident of Charsadda, arrived in Karachi from Indonesia via Malaysia on a Pakistani passport as a routine traveler.
Immigration authorities said that during immigration clearance, his behaviour was found to be suspicious. Assistant Sub-Inspector Yasir Abbas Zaidi detained him and referred him to the shift in-charge for further interrogation.
During questioning, the passenger disclosed that he had initially left Pakistan on a Pakistani passport and a visit visa for Malaysia. He alleged that an agent, identified as Akbar Khan, resident of Mardan, facilitated his illegal border crossing from Malaysia into Indonesia with the promise of sending him to Australia via a sea route in exchange for $5,000.
Officials said that during his illegal stay in Indonesia, he was apprehended by local authorities and jailed. After completing his sentence, he was deported back to Pakistan. In light of the revelations, the passenger was taken into custody and referred to the FIA AHTC for the initiation of legal proceedings in accordance with the law.
Three held
The FIA’s Commercial Banking Circle Karachi carried out a successful raid at Bagh-e-Zehra Street near the Jilani Mobile Market Tower in Karachi. The operation was conducted under the supervision of the Commercial Banking Circle Karachi deputy director.
Three suspects allegedly involved in illegal foreign currency trading and hundi/hawala transactions were arrested during the raid. They were identified as Shahid, son of Ghulam Hussain, Junaid, son of Mubeen, and Khurram Nathani, son of Abdul Sattar.
Officials recovered $19,800 in US currency and three mobile phones from their possession. According to the FIA, the seized mobile phones contained digital evidence related to the illegal buying and selling of foreign currency as well as hundi/hawala activities.
During initial interrogation, the suspects allegedly confessed to their involvement in the illegal foreign exchange business and hundi/hawala operations. The arrested men, along with the recovered foreign currency and mobile phones, were shifted to the FIA Commercial Banking Circle police station and a case was registered against them.
