GUJRAT: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested six human traffickers and fraudsters in separate cases during a crackdown in the Gujranwala region.

In Dinga town of Gujrat district, two travel agents were arrested for defrauding 76 citizens on the pretext of Umrah. The suspects had gone into hiding after receiving huge millions of rupees from their clients.

An FIA official told Dawn that the suspects, namely Javed Butt and Shahid Butt, had received Rs200,000 to Rs300,000 from each of 76 citizens to send them for Umrah in Saudi Arabia.

The FIA arrested both the suspects who had also issued fake receipts and travelling tickets of different airlines. In another case in Gujrat, the agency arrested a human trafficker, Umar Aslam, invovled in the fake visas of Russia.He was arrested from a area near Servis Mor during a crackdown on human traffickers.

An FIA official said 10 passports, fake medical reports and receipts of payments were recovered from the suspect. He added that Aslam would take Rs900,000 per client to send him to Russia. In Gujranwala, the FIA arrested human traffickers, including a proclaimed offender.

A spokesman said the suspects, Adil Hussain, was wanted in a case of 2024 whereas his accomplices, Muhammad Saeed and Abdul Rasheed, were also arrested.

He added that Abdul Rasheed had received Rs3.5m from a citizen to send him to Canada but did not fulfill the comittment.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2026