Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) immigration team foiled a major human smuggling operation at Islamabad Airport on Friday.
Authorities arrested five people, including a 16-year-old child, who tried to travel to SaFive suspects arrested in Lahore in connection with a human trafficking operation linked to Umrah visas in Islamabadudi Arabia on Umrah visas as part of a wider human smuggling operation.
According to an FIA spokesperson, the suspects – Miraj Khan, Usman Khan, Asad Ali, Murtaza Ali and the minor – had planned to travel to Saudi Arabia on the pretext of performing Umrah. From there they intended to reach Libya and subsequently try to reach Italy by sea.
The suspects had allegedly paid 3.9 million Pakistani rupees each to agents Wajid Khan and Faisal Khan to facilitate their travel arrangements.
During the search, two Egyptian visas were also recovered from the suspects. Initial investigations suggest that the remaining visas were to be provided by sub-agents in Saudi Arabia.
FIA’s timely intervention has exposed the human trafficking network and the suspects have been transferred to the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Islamabad for further investigation.
The authorities are intensifying efforts to apprehend the agents involved in the scheme.
The FIA has vowed to continue its crackdown on human traffickers, using all available resources to bring the culprits to justice.
