ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has apprehended a notorious human trafficker in a major operation, foiling his scheme to illegally send young individuals to Japan on forged documents.
The trafficker, identified as Waqas Ali, was arrested by the FIA’s Composite Circle Gujranwala, a spokesman of the FIA Headquarters said on Tuesday.
Ali is accused of posing as a representative of a fake football team to facilitate the travel of 17 youths to Japan. Investigations revealed that he used to forge letters from the Pakistan Football Federation and a counterfeit no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secure visas for the individuals.
According to FIA officials, the 17 individuals were sent to Japan on visit visas on January 1, 2024. Ali allegedly collected a staggering amount of Rs4 to 4.5 million from each individual for the purpose.
Authorities said several cases have already been registered against Waqas Ali at FIA Gujranwala. It also came to light that he sent another fake 22-member football team to Japan earlier this year.
According to the FIA spokesperson, further investigation is under way to trace and apprehend his facilitators involved in this racket. “The arrest of Waqas Ali is a significant development in the ongoing efforts to dismantle human trafficking networks operating in the country.”