KARACHI, July 11: The FIA, Immigration, on Thursday arrested nine persons for their attempt to leave the country on forged travel documents.

Hasan Raza and Mukhtar Ahmad were travelling on forged passports and NICs, Imdadullah and Izzat were proceeding to Jeddah on forged Saudi visas and Protector NOC and the remaining five — Matin Ahmed, Mohammad Aslam, Tahir Mehmood and Mohammad Saqib Bhatti — were travelling to Abu Dhabi on forged visit visas but actually they were planning to fly to London by changing boarding cards at Abu Dhabi.

During interrogation the five persons said the travel documents were arranged by an agent, Malik Zubair, of Lahore on payment of a big amount of money.

They said they were directed by the agent to stay in a hotel where his sub-agent would give them travel documents and on reaching Abu Dhabi another sub-agent would contact them at Abu Dhabi airport for affixing UK visa and arranging boarding cards for London.

All the nine were offloaded and referred to the FIA, Passport Circle, for further action.—APP