UK visa fraud suspect held, Rs1.6m recovered

RAWALPINDI:

The FIA Anti-Human Trafficking Circle (AHTC), Islamabad, has arrested a suspect allegedly involved in a UK student visa fraud and recovered Rs1.6 million from him, officials said.

According to officials, the FIA had registered case no AHTC-ICT-753/26 against the suspect in February 2026 under Sections 18 and 22 of the Emigration Ordinance, 1979, read with Sections 420, 506 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The main suspect, Wasil Azad, Chief Executive Officer and owner of IEIS Consultants, Islamabad, was arrested from Phase 7 of a private housing society. During the arrest, the entire amount of Rs1.6m allegedly received from the complainant was also recovered.

Investigations revealed that Azad, allegedly in connivance with his associates - directors Salman and Zulqernain and visa consultant Sadia - handled the UK student visa case of the wife of complainant Muhammad Zahid through alleged fraud and deception.

On the instructions of the suspects, £4,000 was deposited in May 2025 through an online payment link for Teesside University, UK. However, the suspects allegedly failed to submit the visa application and required documents within the stipulated deadline, resulting in the woman being unable to travel to the UK and the loss of the £4,000 payment.