FIA stops Afghan national using fake Greek ID to reach Europe

Immigration officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) have intercepted an Afghan national attempting to travel to Europe using a counterfeit Greek resident card.

The suspect, identified as Jannat Gul Niazi, was scheduled to board Pakistan International Airlines flight PK-749 to France when his travel documents were scrutinised. Officials discovered that the resident card presented was forged.

FIA immigration staff offloaded Niazi from the flight and took him into custody. He has been handed over to the agency’s Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Islamabad, where further investigations are underway.

Read: Airport staff intercept passengers linked to suspected FIA official collusion

Separately, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Immigration offloaded a passenger at Jinnah International Airport for attempting to travel on forged documents.

The suspect, identified as Muhammad Rehan, was attempting to board flight G9547 to Saudi Arabia. Rehan, who hails from Bannu, held a work visa for a heavy truck driver.

During the immigration process, Rehan presented a Heavy Transport Vehicle (HTV) driving license ostensibly issued by the Clifton license branch. However, verification by officials revealed the document was fake.

Preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect paid an agent Rs350,000 to secure employment in Saudi Arabia. Rehan disclosed that he had never visited the Clifton license branch and the agent had procured the fraudulent license for him.

The suspect was subsequently transferred to the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle Karachi for further legal action and to assist in identifying the agent involved.

Earlier, suspected collusion by an FIA official at Allama Iqbal International Airport has come to light after immigration officers intercepted passengers allegedly attempting to travel abroad illegally, officials said. The discovery has prompted an inquiry into how officials may have aided unauthorized departures.

The issue came to attention during routine immigration checks, when officers stopped a passenger suspected of receiving help from an FIA official to bypass travel regulations.

During an unannounced two-hour visit on Sunday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain observed the immigration process at the airport. They spoke with passengers bound for international travel, inquiring about the process and ways to improve it.

Read more: FIA probes offloading of workers at airports

Naqvi warned that illegal travel will not be tolerated under any circumstances. He expressed concern over long queues at immigration counters and instructed officials to speed up processing to prevent delays and inconvenience for travelers.