Flight Risk: FIA nabs passengers with fake visas

KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency’s Immigration cell off-loaded three passengers on Friday from a PIA flight and arrested them for having fake visas for Malaysia. Azhar Abbas, Mohammad Aslam and Zakirullah told the FIA that they got the visas after paying a large sum of money to their agents. FIA Assistant Director Nasrullah Gondal said that Aslam, who hails from Mandi Bahauddin, has admitted that he got the visa after paying Rs190,000 to his agent Shahid. Zakirullah, a resident of Chitral, said he had paid Rs250,000 to his agent Jamaluddin. Gondal said although a number of fake visas for a number of countries are made, there is an increasing trend for fake visas to Malaysia.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 24^th, 2011.