FIA officials held in trafficking scam

A major human smuggling scandal has been uncovered at the New Islamabad International Airport, allegedly involving collusion by officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Immigration. Three officials were formally arrested.

The scheme reportedly facilitated the illegal departure of migrants to foreign destinations, including Europe, in exchange for bribes.

Three FIA personnel — Sub-Inspector (SI) Muhammad Alam, FC official Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Head Constable Muhammad Ismail, posted in the Islamabad Zone — have been arrested. A case has been registered against them on charges of bribery and related offences.

Authorities allege that four passengers were cleared through immigration in return for illicit payments. Investigators have further revealed that, within the span of a week, 12 additional passengers were similarly cleared after paying bribes.

According to officials, FIA Director-General Dr Usman Anwar and FIA Director Islamabad Zone Shahzad Nadeem Bukhari received intelligence reports indicating the involvement of immigration staff in unlawful activities and links with human smugglers.

Acting on these reports, the Director FIA Islamabad and the Additional Director General Immigration personally supervised an inquiry. When the allegations were substantiated, a team led by Deputy Director Afzal Khan Niazi of the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle conducted a raid, resulting in the arrests.

The four named passengers, who had allegedly paid bribes for clearance, have also been nominated in the First Information Report (FIR).

The FIA stated that information was received suggesting that several passengers travelling on Umrah visas intended to use irregular sea routes to enter Europe. Acting on this tip-off, authorities conducted a raid during a flight departing Islamabad for Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Four passengers had already obtained immigration clearance and were waiting in the departure lounge. The FIR states that the passengers were offloaded and questioned. It emerged that they were travelling on single-entry Umrah visas and had been cleared by immigration officer Inzamamul Haq without being referred to second-line officers for further scrutiny, as required under SOPs.

Officials alleged that a misleading impression was created during processing, suggesting the passengers were re-entering Saudi Arabia rather than travelling on single-entry visas.

During interrogation, the passengers disclosed that an agent, identified as Younas Khan, had promised to facilitate their onward journey to Europe via Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Libya. They further alleged that after receiving their boarding passes, they were specifically instructed to approach Immigration Counter No 13, where Inzamam-ul-Haq was on duty, in order to avoid additional profiling and checks.

In preliminary investigations, Inzamamul Haq reportedly stated that he had cleared the passengers at the direction of ASI Muhammad Alam. Investigators further alleged that the passengers were cleared in exchange for Rs30,000 per person.

ASI Muhammad Alam, in turn, is said to have claimed that Head Constable Muhammad Ismail had negotiated the clearance of the four passengers at Rs80,000 per person, and had struck a separate deal with the agent worth Rs1.5 million.