13 passengers offloaded at Faisalabad airport

DIJKOT:

Thirteen passengers, including three women, were offloaded at Faisalabad Airport for allegedly attempting to travel illegally to Europe under the pretext of performing Umrah.

The FIA Immigration team detained the passengers for questioning after observing suspicious behavior during clearance procedures.

The passengers, reportedly residents of Faisalabad, were scheduled to travel to Jeddah on flight FZ-356.

The group included Hamza Ali, Zeeshan Ali, Samiullah, Shiraz Hassan, Imran Waris, Bilal Hassan, Syed Yaseen Hussain, Muhammad Rizwan, Ghulam Rasool, and Haq Nawaz. The female passengers were identified as Fazilat Bibi, Zahida Bibi, and Sardaran Bibi.

Authorities noted that in previous cases, female travellers have been exploited as a cover for illegal attempts to travel to Europe on Umrah visas.

During the investigation, mobile phones of the passengers revealed suspicious contacts with international numbers, including calls with an agent named Sajid and chat records related to Egypt and Libya.

Preliminary investigations suggest the passengers were planning to reach Europe via Libya, using a boat to cross the Mediterranean after traveling under the guise of performing Umrah.

All 13 passengers were offloaded and handed over to the FIA Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Faisalabad for further investigation and legal action. Airport authorities confirmed that stricter screening measures for Umrah travellers are being enforced, and those involved in illegal activities will face strict action.