Human trafficking: Two arrested over bid to smuggle fake players abroad

Manager, coach of junior football team detained following alert by US Embassy

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Monday arrested two officials accompanying a junior football team on charges of attempting to traffic three fake players to the United States.

Hamid and Rizwan, manager and coach of Punjab Junior football team, were arrested from the Diplomatic Enclave in Islamabad after the US Embassy alerted that three fake players had been included in the 16-member squad.

All the players were under the age of 16 except for three who were planted in the group to be smuggled to America. The US Embassy has also confirmed this scam, sources in FIA said.

After identification of the scam, no visas were granted to the team and the tour was cancelled. The fake players were under 18 years of age and were allowed to go home with actual team members as no charges were levelled against them.



According to the FIA, the accused had taken Rs1.2 million from each of the three teenagers to smuggle them to the US. The FIA has also decided to include Punjab Junior Soccer Association in the investigation.

Muhammad Hassan Baloch, who has served as coach to Pakistan national football team, told The Express Tribune that it is an old racket.

“Sometimes, most of the players in such teams are genuine but three or four fake players are also planted,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 19^th, 2016.