LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Lahore Zone arrested four suspects involved in human trafficking and visa fraud during targeted raids in Model Town, Rehman Garden, and Shama.
An FIA spokesperson identified the suspects as Raheel Parvez, Muhammad Umar, Yamam Nadeem, and Rohan Mahmood. They were operating fraudulent travel agencies, deceiving citizens with false promises of overseas employment.
Raheel Parvez had been under FIA surveillance since 2019 for defrauding citizens of Rs 9 million by falsely claiming to arrange immigration to Canada. Investigations revealed that the suspects were running unauthorized travel agencies and illegally collecting passports. They allegedly extorted millions from victims, vanishing after receiving payments.
During the raids, FIA officials recovered 12 Pakistani passports, educational documents, and multiple mobile SIM cards. The suspects failed to justify possession of the passports, further confirming their involvement in illegal activities.
FIA Director Sarfaraz Khan Virk stated that operations against human trafficking networks had been intensified, with strict legal action planned against the arrested individuals. He emphasized FIA’s commitment to dismantling international human smuggling networks and ensuring severe penalties for offenders.
Authorities are continuing their investigation to uncover additional links to the trafficking operation, with further arrests expected.
