Islamabad:
In an important repression, the antihuman smuggling cell of the Federal Research Agency (FIA) has unearthed a high-profile visa scam that involves the fraudulent broadcast of the Pakistani E-Visas visas to the Afghan citizens who use false sponsorships, with an alleged complicity of the officials of the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Information.
According to the FIA spokesman, two Afghan nationals were arrested during a raid directed in the Islamabad G-8 sector, while a case has been registered against six people. The raids are ongoing to detain the remaining suspects.
According to the reports, the defendant operated outside the automobile display rooms in the G-8 area, executing a sophisticated racket that eluded immigration and national security procedures committed.
The FIA declared that the entire operation facilitated Afghan citizens not verified in obtaining the visas and Pakistani within 24 to 48 hours, using falsified sponsorship documents and stolen identification data, all without notifying the intelligence agencies.
The FIR, presented by a FIA Officer, states that the scam was directed by Samiullah Afridi, a low quality employee in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collusion with Malik Muneebur Rehman, a travel agent, Nadir Raheem Abbasi, an employee of the Press Information Department (PID) and several others.
Financial transactions were enrupted through the bank accounts of the Primo de Aphridi, Abdul Aziz Afridi, owner of a car exposure room in G-8 and is the brother of a foreigners official published as head of the attached mission in Kabul.
According to reports, a private bank account linked to Samiullah Afridi received almost RS40 million in suspicious transactions related to the visas racket.
It was discovered that one of the arrested suspects, Atif Ahmadzai, an Afghan citizen from the province of Nangarhar, directed an online travel agency that facilitated E-Vis visa applications using fraudulent means, including counterfeit sponsorships, avoiding formal financial channels and using Hawala/Hundi methods for fund transfers.
The gang provided urgent tourist visas within 24 to 48 hours for $ 750 (with 80% supposedly embolized by employees of the Ministry of Information).
They also offered other categories of visas, such as 10 -day tourist visas, medical visas and business visas, each for $ 350.
According to reports, the network met in areas surrounding Islamabad, including the G-8, and had established a simplified process so that Afghan citizens acquire Pakistani documents without security investigation. Innocent sponsors were involved without knowing it, while legitimate visa applicants were deprived of their rights.
The scheme, according to FIA, not only violated immigration protocols, but also represented a significant threat to national security by allowing terrorist elements to obtain entry into Pakistan without control.
Acting on credible intelligence, the FIA raided the exhibition room and caught Abdul Aziz Afridi and Atif Ahmadzai with his hands in the dough.
It was discovered that Ahmadzai resided illegally in Pakistan and lacked valid travel documentation. Both suspects registered statements that confirmed that Samiullah Afridi, Malik Mnebur Rehman, Nadir Raheem Abbasi and another Afghan citizen named Ahmad Afghani were active members of the ring and had been emitting e-visas illegally in exchange for strong sums.