The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has exposed a major human trafficking and visa fraud network, arresting the prime suspect, Muhammad Arif, from Islamabad International Airport. Arif had reportedly collected millions of rupees from citizens under the pretense of arranging pilgrimage trips (Ziyarat) to Iraq but failed to send them abroad, instead fleeing with the money.
According to FIA’s Anti-Human Trafficking Circle, the accused took Rs. 4.5 million from each promising religious travel arrangement. However, after collecting the money, he vanished and managed to escape to Iran. Authorities had already placed his name on the stop list, which led to his arrest upon arrival at Islamabad Airport.
The suspect is now in FIA custody, and a case has been registered against him. FIA officials stated that the arrest is part of the agency’s broader crackdown on human smuggling and visa fraud operations.
In a related development, the government has upgraded nine FIA immigration check posts to full-fledged investigative units to strengthen efforts against human trafficking and improve law enforcement in border regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
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As per the official notification, seven of these upgraded posts are in Balochistan and two in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In KP’s Kurram district, the Gavi and Inzarkai check posts have been converted into FIA Investigative units. In Balochistan, four stations have been established in Chagai district (Ban, Noor Wahab, Barabcha, and Raje), one in Zhob district (Ghazni and Qamar Din Karez), and another in Panjgur district named Prag Koh.
These measures are part of the federal government's ongoing strategy to enhance border security and curb the rising incidents of illegal immigration and human trafficking in the region.
