ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Immigration Wing at the Karachi seaport has dismantled a significant international syndicate involving the use of fraudulent maritime documents during the clearance of a major cargo vessel, a spokesman for the FIA Headquarters said Monday.
The operation targeted the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel CV Albert P, which arrived at the port carrying 1,352 containers. During standard immigration clearance procedures, FIA officials detected serious irregularities and forged documentation, leading to a total fine of Rs2 million being imposed on the vessel.
According to an FIA spokesperson, the investigation centered on four crew members who were attempting to travel using counterfeit Seaman Books. These individuals, comprising both Filipino and Pakistani nationals, were subsequently declared “non-immigrants” by authorities. The inspection revealed that the crew were utilizing fake Seaman Books purportedly issued by Belize and the Bahamas. Furthermore, the crew members failed to produce mandatory Flag State Seaman Books or the essential international supporting documents required under global maritime regulations.
Under preliminary questioning, the ship’s captain and crew admitted that the forged documents had been facilitated by a shipping agent based in Dubai. This confession has provided investigators with critical evidence of an expansive international documentation network, prompting the FIA to widen the scope of its inquiry to identify further domestic and foreign links.
The financial penalty was assessed at Rs500,000 per individual, totaling Rs2 million, which was recovered through the vessel’s local handling agent, M/s GAC Pakistan Private Limited. In addition to the fines, the FIA has issued formal show-cause notices to the captain and the involved crew members as part of the ongoing legal proceedings.
This enforcement action marks the third major success for the FIA Karachi Seaport wing in May 2026. The agency spokesperson reiterated a strict zero-tolerance policy regarding the use of fraudulent maritime credentials, warning that any violations of immigration laws at Pakistani ports will be met with immediate and rigorous legal consequences.
