The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) immigration officials at Jinnah International Airport have stopped two passengers travelling to Saudi Arabia on Umrah visas over suspected links to human trafficking and suspicious activities, the agency said on Thursday.
According to the FIA, Saddam Bashir and Salma Bibi, residents of Lodhran, Punjab, were stopped during the emigration clearance and referred to the relevant authorities for further action and investigation.
The two passengers claimed to be relatives but failed to produce the required CNIC/FRC documents to establish their relationship, raising suspicion among the immigration officials. During scrutiny, FIA officials found on Salma’s mobile phone a copy of FIR No 1197/2026 registered at the City Lodhran police station under the Section 365-B of the Pakistan Penal Code.
According to the FIR, Bashir, along with two unidentified individuals, had allegedly been accused of abducting a woman after enticing her. Meanwhile, WhatsApp chats recovered from Bashir’s mobile phone allegedly contained discussions about arranging women for prostitution, including details of locations, timings, pick-and-drop arrangements and payments.
Similar suspicious material was also found on Salma’s mobile phone, the FIA said, adding that the contents were being further verified and investigated. In view of the FIR and material recovered from the passengers’ mobile phones, both were handed over to the relevant authorities for verification of the facts and a comprehensive investigation into possible human trafficking, exploitation and other illegal activities. The FIA said it would continue action against elements involved in human trafficking, exploitation of women and organised criminal activities.
