Man lands in Malaysia penniless after rip-off

Human smugglers deprive youth of hard-earned cash; FIA yet to catch culprits

ISLAMABAD: A gang of human smugglers has stripped a poor man of his hard-earned money by luring him into dreams of settlement in Malaysia, while the FIA watched the entire episode as a silent spectator and is yet to initiate action against the culprits.

Cheating poor citizens on pretext of offering greener pastures and depriving them of their hard earned money is a serious issue.

Some six months ago, Muhammad Imran, a young man from the Dhadyal area of Mirpur Azad Jammu and Kashmir, was sent to Malaysia by an agent in Rawalpindi. The agent had told Imran that his visa would be valid for three years. However, the visa turned out to be only for one month.

Imran, after reaching Malaysia and paying Rs413,000, learnt that he had been cheated by the agent.



“I was told by Farooq, the agent, who had given me the visa that this was a three-year work visa and I would be paid a monthly salary of Rs50,000. However, when I reached Malaysia I learnt that my visa was only valid for a month,” Imran told The Express Tribune.

Imran further said that he was accommodated in suspicious circumstances in Malaysia and he was ripped of every penny he had in his pocket.



PHOTO: EXPRESS

Later on, he was ordered to work in a factory where he was bound to work for 20 hours every day. After spending one month Imran demanded his salary but instead his employer threatened him and asked him to work without pay or else he would ask the local authorities to arrest him for overstay.

“I had no other option but to continue working in the factory without getting any salary. I was given food and nothing else. After two months I developed severe health issues due to overwork,” Imran said, while explaining his ordeal. He added that due to his overstay he also could not visit any health institute.



Imran said that his nose started bleeding and was about to die, however, another person arranged his treatment at a clinic on humanitarian ground. He added that the person had lied to the doctor saying Imran had lost his travel documents.

While, sharing about his journey back, Imran said some Pakistanis in Malaysia contacted his father and told him about his situation. He added that his father then approached the agent Farooq.

“The agent demanded Rs100,000 for my return ticket and my father arranged it by selling other assets which we had at our home,” he stated. After paying for the ticket, Farooq and his accomplices arranged for Imran’s return to Pakistan.

Imran, with the assistance of his friend, visited the FIA‘s office to register his complaint against the criminals. However, many months have lapsed and there is no outcome of the investigation.

Deputy Director FIA Fakhrul Islam, when contacted, said that the Anti-Human Trafficking Wing of FIA was pursuing the case.

“The case in question is registered with the FIA. The agency has its own procedure to pursue the case and I have already referred the case to the proper circle,” he further stated. However, he was not able to tell any development about the case.