A Pakistani man was arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Anti-Human Trafficking Circle (AHS) in Sialkot for attempting to fraudulently obtain a US visa by posing as a cancer patient.
Raza Abbas, the primary suspect, was detained along with his alleged facilitator, Amir Hamza, following a written complaint from the US Consulate.
According to FIA sources, Abbas tried to secure a US visa using forged medical certificates, fake bank statements worth Rs 10 million, and fabricated documents claiming he owned a travel agency. The fraudulent attempt also involved presenting counterfeit laboratory reports and hospital certificates, which Abbas acquired for Rs 30,000 from a receptionist at a local lab named Hafiz.
It was revealed that Abbas’s previous visa application had been rejected. However, with the help of Amir Hamza, he re-applied using the falsified documents, leading to his arrest. Both Abbas and Hamza are now in custody as the FIA continues its investigation into their actions.
This arrest is part of the FIA’s ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking in Pakistan. In December 2024, nearly 100 Pakistani nationals lost their lives in boat capsizing incidents in Greece and Spain, highlighting the deadly consequences of human trafficking. Many of these victims had been lured by traffickers who promised illegal passage to Europe in exchange for large sums of money, often through perilous sea routes.
In a separate operation on Friday, FIA Immigration officials arrested a passenger at Karachi Airport for attempting to travel abroad using fake travel documents. The suspect was found with two forged passports containing fake European visas. During questioning, the individual admitted to having contacted an agent through social media to obtain the counterfeit documents.
The FIA also thwarted a larger human trafficking operation at Karachi Airport, arresting four individuals, including the agent behind the scheme. The smuggler, identified as Abdul Shakoor, was reportedly charging Rs 1.4 million per person for illegal travel to Poland. Investigations revealed that Shakoor was in contact with an Indian agent as part of a broader trafficking network. The FIA is taking further action against the suspects involved in the operation.
