Seven people arrested, more than 1,500 passports seized in crackdown on police mafia

LAHORE: FIA Lahore has dismantled a major network of the passport agent mafia. More than 1,500 passports were seized from the mafia during the operation conducted by the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle Lahore.

According to the spokesperson of FIA Lahore, seven suspects including Raza, Mudassir Shah, Nadeem Shah, Kubra, Hasnain Shah, Samar Abbas and Umair Ahmed were arrested. A total of 1,532 Pakistani passports along with fake Iranian and Iraqi embassy stamps and other forged documents were recovered from the suspects.

The suspects were involved in sending citizens to Iran and Iraq on pilgrim visas, and facilitating illegal border crossings and forced labour. FIA has registered cases against the suspects and further investigation is underway. FIA DG Ahmed Ishaq Jahangir lauded FIA Lahore Zone Director Sarfraz Khan Virk and his team for their efforts. The Lahore Zone Director stated that no leniency will be shown to the passport agent mafia and human traffickers and the crackdown will continue.