Islamabad : The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has intensified its nationwide crackdown on human trafficking, visa fraud, and illegal financial activities, resulting in multiple high-profile arrests and the dismantling of several criminal networks.
A series of coordinated operations across various zones—Faisalabad, Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Gwadar—have delivered a significant blow to organised crime.
In a major success for the FIA Faisalabad Zone, a long-wanted human trafficker, Ajmal Khan, was finally arrested from Bahawalnagar.
Khan was sought for two years by the FIA Lahore Zone in connection with nine cases of visa fraud and human trafficking registered in 2023 and 2024. He is accused of defrauding citizens of a total of Rs2.77 million by promising them jobs in Poland. After collecting the money, he failed to send the victims abroad and went into hiding, moving between cities to evade arrest. An investigation into his criminal activities is now underway.
Continuing their relentless pursuit of human smugglers and visa fraudsters, the FIA Lahore Zone's Anti-Human Trafficking Circle conducted two key operations, leading to the arrests of Manzoor Ahmed and Tassawar Hussain.
Manzoor Ahmed was apprehended for allegedly scamming citizens out of Rs14.2 million with false promises of work visas for the UK. After receiving the funds, he absconded.
Tassawar Hussain was arrested in Faisalabad with 11 Pakistani passports and other documents, which he could not account for. He is suspected of involvement in large-scale fraud related to fake overseas employment. Both individuals are now in custody, and investigations have commenced.
The FIA Composite Circle Gwadar thwarted a major human smuggling attempt, arresting 17 individuals, including an Iranian national, who were attempting to travel illegally to Iran by sea from Jiwani. The arrested Pakistanis hailed from various provinces, including Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh, and included five from Buner and two from Gujranwala. Initial investigations reveal the group's ultimate destination was Europe, with Iran serving as a transit point. Cases have been registered and further probes are in progress.
In a separate but related incident at Faisalabad Airport, FIA Immigration Faisalabad offloaded four passengers—Muhammad Muzammil, Muhammad Osama, Muhammad Tahir, and Muhammad Muneeb—from a flight to Saudi Arabia. Traveling on Umrah visas, the passengers were found to have a clandestine plan to travel onward to Libya and then attempt an illegal sea crossing to Europe. Evidence recovered from their mobile phones confirmed their illicit intentions and their contact with an agent named Naveed-ul-Hassan. The suspects have been handed over to the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle for further investigation and to identify the agent.
The crackdown also extended to financial crimes. The FIA Corporate Crime Circle Karachi arrested Abdul Qadir from Jinnah Road for his involvement in hawala/hundi activities. Authorities recovered over Rs8 million, along with mobile phones and other incriminating evidence. The accused failed to provide a valid explanation for the large sum of money. Raids are ongoing to apprehend his accomplices.
Similarly, the FIA Corporate Crime Circle Lahore arrested Muhammad Zunair, who posed as a Business Development Officer to defraud citizens. He and his accomplices ran a fake vehicle lease scheme, collecting more than Rs45.1 million from over 37 victims by promising low-interest vehicles after a 20% down payment. Zunair is now in custody, with raids underway to arrest the rest of the gang.
In a particularly disturbing case, the FIA Anti-Human Trafficking Circle Rawalpindi arrested four traffickers—Ali Haider, Sameen Hayat, Umar Farooq, and Muzammil Khan—from Rawalpindi, Talagang, and Islamabad. This group defrauded citizens of millions by luring them with false promises of jobs in Cambodia. Once in Cambodia, victims were held hostage, tortured, and forced to work 20–21 hours daily in call centers for fraudulent activities. The traffickers also extorted additional sums for the release of their victims. The arrested individuals are under investigation as authorities work to bring their accomplices to justice.
