Cambodia-bound human smuggler, five clients caught at IIA

FIA immigration recovers fake documents, visiting cards, letterheads from suspect

RAWALPINDI: Anti-Human Trafficking Cell Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) foiled human smuggling attempt and arrested six people including a travel agent at Islamabad International Airport (IIA) on Thursday.

It was revealed during the investigation that the agent had obtained Rs 420,000 each from five people for taking them to Cambodia after they landed in Vietnam.

Briefing of a flight proceeding to Qatar was under way when six people including Jawwad Ghani, Talha Shehzad, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Zeeshan Ali, Nauman Basheer, and Hamid reached the immigration counter to get clearance of their flight to Vietnam via Qatar, FIA officials said.

When the shift in-charge Inspector Nauman Khalil and his team began inspecting the documents and profiling process, Ghani identified himself as the owner of the Hareem Travel Agency and said that the five people accompanying him were employees at his agency.

The alerted officials, who were in a suspicion, further inquired from the suspects about the agency but they failed to provide a satisfactory answer. Bewildered by the questions, Ghani ultimately confessed that their final destination was Cambodia via Vietnam and added that for this purpose, they were to obtain a visa from an agent upon their arrival in Vietnam.

Following this, the immigration officials checked their documents and discovered a fake visiting card, an invitation letter with Talha Shehzad’s name and letterhead of KF Enterprises, Cambodia.

Upon further inspection of the suspects' laptops were carrying, the immigration officials discovered a document with fake letterhead of Hareem Trave Agency and a visa application for New Zealand.

All the suspects were shifted to the anti-smuggling cell for further investigation during which it was revealed that Shehzad had obtained Rs420,000 from each suspect against illegally taking them to Cambodia.

FIA registered a case against the suspects under sections of anti-smuggling and illegal travel to abroad.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2019.