FIA busts visa fraud racket, arrests agent over UK job scam

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested a man accused of running an illegal visa consultancy and defrauding citizens by promising overseas employment, Associated Press of Pakisan reported on Saturday.

The suspect, identified as Asif Nadeem, was taken into custody by the FIA’s Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Islamabad for allegedly operating an unauthorized agency under the name Berlin Immigration Solutions.

According to the FIA, Nadeem is accused of cheating a citizen out of Rs1.9 million by falsely promising employment in the United Kingdom. Investigators said the suspect failed to provide any legitimate travel or employment documents after receiving the money.

The FIA said the arrest followed a formal complaint and a preliminary inquiry that uncovered evidence of visa fraud and illegal recruitment. Authorities believe the suspect was part of an organized human smuggling network that targeted job seekers with false assurances of foreign visas and employment.

Further raids are under way to arrest other agents and facilitators linked to the network, the FIA said, adding that investigations were continuing to identify additional victims and trace financial transactions.

The agency reiterated its commitment to cracking down on human smuggling and visa fraud and urged citizens to verify agents through the FIA’s official protectorate list before pursuing overseas employment opportunities.