KARACHI, Feb 5: The gang of an alleged human smuggler, arrested late last month by the Passport Circle of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), smuggled at least 150 jobseekers to Saudi Arabia on fake visas during the past six months alone.

FIA officials told Dawn that during the course of investigation against Manzoor Hussain, who has been allegedly running his business since 1992, they seized photocopies of the documents of as many as 150 jobseekers, mainly hailing from Punjab, who had reached the kingdom on bogus documents.

At least visas of 100 jobseekers had been found fake through verification from the Saudi Consulate in Karachi and the office of the protector of immigration, the officials said.

They said at least four separate agents were involved in smuggling these jobseekers on forged visas.

The FIA’s Passport Circle had arrested the alleged human smuggler, coming from Lahore, on Jan 22 in the Tariq area and seized from him 90 blank visa stickers of the Saudi Consulate.

According to the deputy director of the FIA’s investigation arm, Mohammed Malik, the suspect was one of the major suppliers of fake visas and other travel documents to the bogus recruiting agents.

The officials said they had detected the role of at least four travel agents in Karachi in the human smuggling racket and their arrests would be effected soon.

As many as 13 passports, 90 visa stickers, a dozen stamps of Saudi Consulate General in Karachi, six stamps of Protector of Immigration and several passport endorsement stickers were also seized from Manzoor Hussain, who was remanded in judicial custody on Saturday.

The officials said co-accused Bashir was believed to have been abroad as his whereabouts could not be ascertained despite efforts.