In a major crackdown on human smuggling, the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell (AHTC) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has dismantled an organised network involved in issuing fake immigration stamps and facilitating illegal migration, arresting multiple suspects in Karachi.
The development was disclosed during a press conference by AHTC Deputy Director Muhammad Amjal at his office on Thursday. According to him, two passengers, Taimoor Ahmed and Syed Aman, were offloaded at Jinnah International Airport while attempting to travel to South Korea on suspicious documents.
During initial scrutiny, officials recovered WhatsApp chats and financial transaction record from the passengers’ mobile phones, confirming their involvement in illegal immigration and use of forged documents.
Further investigation led to the arrest of agent Asif-ur-Rehman and his accomplices. Authorities recovered the original passport of a passenger along with fake immigration stamps from their possession.
In subsequent raids, FIA officials seized 44 passports from the hideout of a suspect, Imran, while 61 passports and a large number of counterfeit immigration stamps were recovered from the custody of Aslam Khan.
Investigations revealed that the suspects were operating an organised network, preparing fake travel records to illegally send citizens abroad. The officer said a case had been registered against the accused under the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act, 2018, and other relevant laws.
