PESHAWAR, Nov 26: Several illegal recruitment agencies in the province are fleecing innocent people by promising them jobs in foreign countries, particularly Malaysia, says a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) official. Talking to Dawn on Sunday, FIA’s anti-trafficking unit assistant director Saleh Mohammad said a large number of youths were paying money to the illegal agencies despite repeated government announcements in newspapers asking jobseekers to contact only genuine overseas employment promoters.

He said an FIA team raided an unregistered recruitment agency at Par Hoti area of Mardan on Saturday and arrested its owner.

He said that during the raid on the Bahadar Recruitment Agency, the FIA team found travel documents, passports, identity cards and photocopies of visas of various countries.

The team picked up agency owner Haji Rehman Gul and registered a case against him. Investigation is under way.

Mr Saleh said the accused had put up banners in Mardan and Swabi districts with slogans to attract jobseekers.

“Certainly, other illegal recruitment agencies will also be closed down and their owners will be arrested. But we need public cooperation in this regard,” he said.

Meanwhile, the FIA crime circle started investigation into a fake currency case against Abid Hussain, owner of London tailors shop.

He allegedly possessed counterfeit $147,000 while going to Peshawar from Rawalpindi.

Official sources said the accused was taking the fake notes to money changers.