Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Passport Cell has arrested two FIA officials, including a lady officer, for their alleged involvement in human smuggling, while two more officials of the agency are being investigated in this regard.
Well-informed sources in FIA revealed to Business Recorder on Monday that the FIA Passport Cell Police Station Islamabad held Immigration Officer ASI Aalia and Head Constable Muzaffar for their alleged involvement in human smuggling. It was said that she (Aalia) received about Rs 4 million from the Afghan nationals to help them sent to the United Kingdom on fake travel documents.
Aalia had got a pre-arrest bail from a court of Special Magistrate, which was cancelled by the magistrate after providing proofs against her by FIA team, sources said. FIA sources said that two more senior officers are being investigated in the human smuggling case, however, no concrete evidence has been surfaced so far, adding that the senior officials would be taken to task whenever the authority got solid proofs about their involvement.
They said that Aalia and Muzaffar helped a family of four including a lady and her three kids to travel to the United Kingdom on fake passport and fake visas on October 10. All the four persons who travelled on fake travel documents were Afghan nationals being sent by two agents, Adnan and Yousuf Qandhari by using Aalia and Muzaffar, both the agents are still at large, they added.
FIA team raided the office of Adnan on Monday morning, but could not arrest him, sources said, adding the team recovered many passports and other documents from the office. They said that FIA teams are busy in hunt to get the two human smugglers arrested. Adnan, the main person in the scandal is fiancé of Aalia who used her to earn money by sending Afghan nationals to the UK, they added.
The UK authorities had deported these Afghan nationals, who tried to claim political asylum at Heathrow Airport, they said. When contacted by this scribe the SHO of the Passport Cell Police Station Tahir Tanveer has confirmed the arrest of ASI Aalia and Head Constable Muzaffar, saying on October 10, Aalia and Muzaffar had helped four Afghan nationals, a lady and her three kids to travel on fake Pakistani passport and fake visa to the UK.
These Afghan nationals attempted to get political asylum in the UK, which has brought a bad name to Pakistan and heavy fine was inflicted on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). "It is an international rule that airline carrying people on fake documents will be fined", he added.
He said that on October 14, FIR was registered in the Police Station of FIA Passport Cell, while on October 15 a full fledged inquiry was initiated, in which Aalia was found guilty and it was learnt that she received Rs 3.5 to 4 million from the Afghan nationals.