The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested five agents involved in human trafficking and visa fraud schemes.
The suspects, operating in Gujranwala and Gujrat, scammed unsuspecting citizens by promising them employment opportunities abroad, Express News reported.
The arrested officers, identified as Farooq Adil, Nazaqat Ali, Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Arsalan and Adnan Ali, collectively defrauded the victims of nearly Rs 10 million ($35,000).
Each suspect targeted people with job offers in several countries, including Europe and the Middle East.
Nazaqat Ali reportedly swindled 5 million rupees ($17,500) by promising illegal passage to Libya and Europe.
Farooq Adil defrauded a victim of 1.45 million rupees ($5,100) with the false promise of a job in Romania, while Muhammad Asif tricked someone into paying 1.1 million rupees ($3,850) for an opportunity. work in Kyrgyzstan.
Arsalan and Adnan Ali duped victims with job offers in Kuwait and Italy, taking 1.03 million rupees ($3,600) and 1.3 million rupees ($4,550) respectively.
The suspects went into hiding after collecting these significant amounts.
The FIA zonal director in Gujranwala stated that raids are being carried out to arrest more suspects.
Authorities are using all resources and conducting intelligence-based operations to dismantle human trafficking networks. Officials are committed to achieving convictions based on compelling evidence against the defendants.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered authorities to step up action against human traffickers and their facilitators, instructing officials to make them “examples for others.”
During a high-level meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz praised the FIA for its recent actions against government officials involved in facilitating human trafficking networks.
He stressed the need for swift legal measures to seize traffickers’ assets and hold them accountable.
“Strict legal action must be taken against all human trafficking groups operating in the country so that they become a warning to others,” Prime Minister Shehbaz said.
He urged the Ministry of Law and Justice to involve top-level prosecutors to strengthen cases against traffickers and ensure effective legal procedures.
The Prime Minister also directed the Ministry of External Affairs to contact its international counterparts for the extradition of Pakistani nationals running smuggling operations from abroad.
In a bid to curb illegal migration, Prime Minister Shehbaz called for a nationwide awareness campaign, in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, to promote the use of legal avenues to seek employment abroad.
Prime Minister Shehbaz highlighted the importance of upgrading technical training institutes to produce certified professionals aligned with the demands of the global market. In addition, he ordered authorities to improve control protocols at airports for those traveling abroad.
