LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Tuesday issued notices to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on bail petitions moved by 11 Chinese citizens allegedly involved in a scam of contracting fake marriages with Pakistani women and forcing them into prostitution after trafficking them to China.

Judicial Magistrate Amir Raza Bittu had sent the Chinese suspects to jail on judicial remand the other day after the FIA showed no interest in retaining their further custody. The suspects filed their bail petitions very next day (on Tuesday), denying the charges.

The magistrate adjourned the petitions for Wednesday (today) and directed the FIA to submit its reply.

The suspects include Hongfa Yang, Libing Liu, Bo Wang, Chuanjia Liu, Gongze He, Tianyyi Liu, Feng Xnu Yang, Chan yen, Song Guoqian, Liu and Wei Linping.

The FIA accused them of contracting fake marriages with Pakistani women with the help of local facilitators and forcing them into prostitution after they started living in China. The agency also accused them of using Pakistani brides for illegal trade of human organs.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2019