ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) has issued an advisory, outlining strict scrutiny of passengers travelling from Pakistan to 15 countries, to combat the alarming trend of human smuggling in the country.
Passengers departing from nine cities in Pakistan, including Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Jhelum, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad, Sheikhupura, and Bhimber. Passengers aged between 15 and 40 years will be subject to enhanced scrutiny, as per advisory.
The FIA advisory mandates detailed checks for passengers travelling to countries such as Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Senegal, Kenya, Russia, and Egypt. It also calls for profiling passengers headed to Libya, Iran, Mauritania, Iraq, Turkey, Qatar, Kuwait, and Kyrgyzstan.
Two international airlines, one Gulf-based and one African, are under particular observation.
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The advisory, based on an analysis of the Integrated Border Management System (IBMS) database from July to December, examines the movement of passengers travelling on visit, tourism, religious, and student visas.
FIA officials have instructed thorough verification of return tickets, hotel bookings, and all relevant documents.
Special attention will be paid to documents related to visits and tourist visas.
Authorities have been directed to interview suspicious passengers about their travel purposes and financial arrangements. A detailed record of such passengers will also be maintained.
Notorious human smugglers are exploiting Pakistani immigrants attempting to reach Europe illegally via Iran by holding them for ransom.
These smugglers, in coordination with their sub-agents in Pakistan, detain and torture aspiring immigrants. They record videos of the abuse and send them to the victims’ families, demanding payment for their safe release.