RAWALPINDI: Two immigration officials at Islamabad International Airport were arrested for allegedly being in contact with travel agents while on duty and involved in sending people abroad in exchange for large sums of money.

The Federal Investigation Agency’s Anti-Corruption Circle registered a case against the suspects. They were produced in court, which granted their three-day physical remand for further investigation.

A spokesperson for the FIA said an attempt to send people abroad for money was foiled and two FIA immigration officers posted to the airport were arrested. The arrests came about during a surprise checking of immigration officials on duty, launched on the instructions of the director FIA Islamabad Zone, he added.

A surprise check was conducted by Deputy Director Immigration Islamabad Airport Salman Liaquat, said the spokesman. The suspects were identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector Arshad and Constable Mujahid. They were using mobile phones while on duty which was not allowed.

After the officers’ mobile phones were checked based on suspicion, they were found in contact with travelers going abroad and agents, said the spokesman, adding evidence related to illegal immigration was recovered from the suspects’ mobile phones.

The FIA said the suspects were involved in sending people abroad in exchange for huge sums of money.

The arrested suspects were dealing with citizens for Rs50,000 each in the name of sending them to Philippines and Uzbekistan.

According to the initial investigation, records of transactions worth millions of rupees were recovered from the suspects’ mobile phones as they used microfinance accounts to collect the money.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2025