Passenger Offloaded Over Fake Visa

News Desk 

Islamabad: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has stopped a passenger at Islamabad International Airport after allegedly detecting a forged Netherlands visa during an immigration check, with authorities investigating a possible link to a human trafficking network.

The passenger, a resident of Swat, was travelling to Saudi Arabia on Airblue flight PA-270 on August 14 when FIA immigration officials subjected him to secondary screening.

During a detailed examination of his passport, officials found that a Netherlands visit visa affixed to page 18 was allegedly counterfeit.

According to the FIA, the discovery raised suspicion that the passenger may have been attempting to use Saudi Arabia as a transit point before travelling onward to Europe.

Officials also reviewed the passenger’s travel history and found that he had previously travelled several times to Malaysia, Thailand and Saudi Arabia. The FIA said the travel pattern further heightened suspicions about a possible connection with a human trafficking network.

The passenger was offloaded from the flight and handed over to the FIA’s Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Islamabad.

Authorities have launched further investigation, including a forensic examination of the passenger’s mobile phone, to determine whether he was facilitated by individuals involved in the alleged trafficking network.

The FIA said the investigation would also seek to establish the roles of any facilitators or other individuals involved in arranging the suspected forged travel documents.

Further legal action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation.