FIA foils attempt to travel abroad using fake UK eVisa at Karachi airport

Passenger heading to Turkey held with counterfeit UK share code; FIA says forged documents cost Rs7 million

The Federal Investigation Agency’s immigration wing has foiled an attempt by a passenger to travel abroad using fraudulent documents, including a fake United Kingdom share code eVisa, officials said.

Muhammad Imran was apprehended on Saturday at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport while trying to board flight PC-131 to Turkey. During immigration clearance, officials found that the UK e-share code visa he presented was counterfeit.

A UK visa share code is a unique code generated by people with digital UK immigration status, such as an eVisa, to prove their right to work, study or travel. The system links a person’s online immigration record for verification, replacing the need for physical documents during checks.

According to an FIA spokesperson, Imran used the fake UK eVisa share code to obtain a Turkish eVisa. Further investigation revealed that he had secured the share code on the basis of a forged marriage certificate.

Read: 66,154 air travellers offloaded this year, FIA tells NA body

The FIA said evidence recovered from the suspect included digitally edited photographs that allegedly showed his marriage to a woman named Unaiza Qureshi. During interrogation, however, Imran confessed that he has been married to a woman named Samira since 2014 and has four children with her.

The accused also told investigators that all travel documents and tickets were arranged through various agents based in Lahore. He said the total cost of the fraudulent documentation was Rs7 million, of which he had already paid Rs3.5 million.

After being detained at the airport, Imran was handed over to the FIA Anti-Human Trafficking Circle Karachi for further legal proceedings.

The incident adds to a growing number of attempts by passengers to travel abroad illegally through Pakistani airports. Despite repeated efforts, many aspiring travellers are intercepted by FIA officials during immigration checks, preventing them from leaving the country.

Read More: FIA offloads 23 passengers planning to work illegally in Malaysia

In December 2025, the FIA offloaded 23 passengers at Jinnah International Airport who were attempting to travel to Malaysia on visit visas with the intention of working illegally. The passengers belonged to areas including Karachi, Lower Dir, Mardan, Swat, Bajaur, Bannu, Gujrat and Peshawar.

Also in December, the FIA told a parliamentary panel that it had offloaded 66,154 passengers during the year as part of efforts to curb organised gangs of beggars and illegal immigrants from travelling abroad.