25 September 2004	Saturday	09 Shaban 1425

LAHORE, Sept 24: More than 100 Pakistanis were deported from Jeddah on Friday for overstaying in Saudi Arabia.

Officials said that most of the 104 deportees had gone on Umra visas but had overstayed and started doing work there, adding that there also were people whose work permits had expired.

Illegal immigrants were issued emergency visas and sent back on a special flight. Most of the deportees are reported to be aged between 30 and 40 years.

The Federal Investigation Agency inspected their passports and found no sign of tampering on them. Later, they were allowed to go home.

An FIA officer said that the Saudi government had recently taken strict measures to flush out illegal immigrants, adding that hundreds of Pakistanis had been deported from the Middle East during the current month alone.

Meanwhile, the FIA (Gujranwala) on Friday arrested a man on the charge of human trafficking and recovered five passports from his possession.

Officials said that Maqsood Ahmed had taken over Rs4 million from 14 people and promised to send them abroad. A case has been registered against him under Human Trafficking Ordinance (HTO) 2002.