Summary
- GUJRAT/MANDI BAHAUDDIN: A major visa fraud racket came to light at Sialkot International Airport after immigration authorities stopped a Belgium-bound passenger carrying allegedly forged travel documents.
- During examination, FIA officials found that the Pakistani passport, Belgian visa sticker and e-Protector documents presented by the passenger were allegedly fake and tampered with.
- “The timely action by immigration staff prevented the passenger from travelling abroad on forged documents and helped expose a possible international visa fraud network,” an FIA official said.
GUJRAT/MANDI BAHAUDDIN: A major visa fraud racket came to light at Sialkot International Airport after immigration authorities stopped a Belgium-bound passenger carrying allegedly forged travel documents.
The passenger, identified as Sanaullah, a resident of Mandi Bahauddin, was travelling to Belgium on flight FZ-338 when he was intercepted during immigration clearance. Officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Immigration Wing grew suspicious of his documents and referred him for further scrutiny at the Second Line Border Control Office.
During examination, FIA officials found that the Pakistani passport, Belgian visa sticker and e-Protector documents presented by the passenger were allegedly fake and tampered with. The forged documents were detected through modern verification equipment installed at the airport, according to FIA sources.
Officials said the passport bearing number CF2745853, along with the Belgian work visa and e-Protector, failed verification checks. The passenger was immediately offloaded from the flight and taken into custody for questioning.
During initial interrogation, Sanaullah disclosed that an overseas agent identified as Ali Muzaffar, reportedly based in Italy, had arranged the travel documents and promised him employment in Belgium. According to the passenger’s statement, a deal worth Rs7.5 million had been struck with the agent for securing a Belgian work visa.
The passenger told investigators that he came into contact with the agent through a relative, Abdul Rehman, who is also residing in Italy. He further stated that around Rs5.5 million had already been paid through various bank transactions and money transfers.
Investigators believe the suspect was provided with a complete package that included a forged Pakistani passport, fake Belgian visa, counterfeit e-Protector and airline ticket.
FIA officials said the case points towards the existence of an organised network involved in preparing forged travel documents and exploiting citizens seeking overseas employment. The network allegedly targets job seekers by offering work visas for European countries in exchange for huge sums of money.
“The timely action by immigration staff prevented the passenger from travelling abroad on forged documents and helped expose a possible international visa fraud network,” an FIA official said.
Following preliminary proceedings, the passenger was handed over to the FIA Anti-Human Trafficking Circle, Sialkot, for further legal action. Authorities have launched investigations against the alleged agent, bank account holders and other facilitators who may have been involved in the operation.
FIA officials said efforts were under way to trace the financial trail and identify additional victims who may have been deceived through similar schemes.
The agency has once again urged citizens to use only legal and verified channels for overseas employment and to avoid making payments to unregistered agents offering jobs abroad.
Officials maintained that crackdowns against human smuggling, visa fraud and document forgery would continue without discrimination, adding that the vigilance of FIA Immigration Sialkot had helped uncover what could be a wider cross-border fraud operation.
