FIA nabs suspect attempting US travel with fake club cricket documents

Suspect arrested outside US Consulate in Karachi at their request.

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The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Karachi has arrested a suspect attempting to travel to the United States on fake documents under the guise of club cricket.

According to the spokesperson, the suspect, identified as Shakeel Rafiq, was arrested outside the US Consulate in Karachi and hails from Lahore. The action was taken upon the request of the US Consulate.

The suspect obtained fake documents from an agent named Sajjad, who is also a friend of his, Express News reported.

The suspect made a deal with Sajjad for 32,000 Emirati Dirhams and initially paid Rs450,000, with the remaining amount to be paid after obtaining the visa.

The suspect presented himself as being affiliated with a cricket club at the US Consulate and submitted forged documents.

However, he lacked any knowledge about cricket and failed to provide satisfactory answers regarding the documents to the consulate staff.

The suspect has been arrested, and an investigation has begun. Raids are being conducted to arrest the named agent involved in the case.

Previously five suspects were arrested in Karachi for their involvement in money laundering, with authorities seizing a significant amount of local and foreign currency.

The FIA State Bank Circle Karachi conducted targeted raids in various parts of the city, focusing on individuals engaged in illegal currency exchange.

During the operation, the FIA confiscated $4,500, £20,000, and Rs8,802,250 from the suspects.

The suspects have been identified as Waseem Akram, Mohammad Arsalan, Mohammad Shiraz, Mohammad Adil Shahid, and Majid Iqbal.

FIA chief highlights Pakistan’s efforts against organised crime

FIA Director-General Ahmad Ishaq Jahangir has called for stronger action against money laundering and human trafficking at the 12th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) for the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC).

During his speech, Jahangir highlighted Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to combat various forms of organised crime, including human trafficking and migrant smuggling.

He emphasized the importance of enhancing the capacities of developing countries in dealing with these challenges and stressed the need for a comprehensive approach to address the root causes of these crimes.