GUJRAT: The immigration authorities of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Sunday nabbed a Pakistani man travelling on fake identity and passport of a South African citizen, during scrutiny of a foreign flight at Sialkot airport.

Official sources said that during the immigration clearance of Flight EK-618, arriving from South Africa, a passenger was found using the name Dipen Patel, having South African passport (No A11240794).

During the scrutiny of his documents, it was found that the passenger’s actual name is Arslan Ahmad, son of Sarfraz Ahmad, having Pakistani CNIC No 34101- 0974834-9.

On being interrogated by the FIA officials, Arslan revealed that he gave Rs2 million to an agent ‘Khan’ a resident of South Africa for providing him with the fake South African travel documents.

FIA also arrests two alleged human traffickers

The officials handed Arslan over to Gujranwala anti-human trafficking cell (AHTC) for further action.

Meanwhile, FIA Gujranwala circle also claimed to have arrested two alleged human traffickers during a crackdown across the region.

An FIA spokesman said the suspect, Syed Mehdi Raza, son of Syed Khadim Hussain Shah of Haidri Park, Gujranwala, had been arrested in case number 226/22 registered on Oct 21, 2022 under section 22 of the Emigration Ordinance 1979.

He said the suspect had allegedly received Rs1.4 million fromthe complainant, Saleem Abbas, on the pretext of sending him to Canada for employment.

Similarly, he said, another suspect, Amanat, son of Sultan Ahmed, of Gali No1, Nai Wali, Choak Nankana Sahib, has been arrested in case number 851/24, registered on Oct 29, 2024 under sections 17/22 of Emigration Ordinance 1979, 3/6 of the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act 2018, with the FIA’s Gujranwala circle.

The suspect, he said, had allegedly received Rs4.6 million on the pretext of sending the complainant to Itly for employment, but instead sent him to Libya.

The suspect took initial amount of Rs1.6m from the complainant in Pakistan and later in Libya an agent extorted the remaining Rs3 million from him.

FIA Gujranwala circle is investigating the arrested suspects.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2025