KARACHI May 17, 2025: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Immigration Wing in Karachi has launched a major operation targeting human trafficking networks, detaining and interrogating eight passengers who recently arrived in Pakistan from Cambodia and Mauritania.

According to an FIA spokesperson, four of the individuals arrived from Cambodia, while the other four returned from Mauritania. The passengers from Mauritania have been identified as Muhammad Shoaib, Zaheer Abbas, Muhammad Hussain, and Asif Sohail. Initial investigations reveal that these individuals were in contact with known human trafficking agents.

The Mauritania returnees were reportedly linked to agents identified as Thakur, Sam Shah, Nadeem Shah, and Khalid Kamboh. These agents are believed to have received over PKR 8.1 million collectively from the victims, under the pretense of securing employment opportunities abroad.

The four individuals who returned from Cambodia identified as Shehroz Khan, Ahsan Rafiq, Zain Manzoor, and Moatasim Bin Awan were also allegedly in contact with human traffickers operating from overseas. The agents lured victims with promises of lucrative jobs and charged them significant sums of money.

Upon reaching Cambodia, the victims were reportedly sold to foreign companies, which confiscated their travel documents and forced them into online scamming operations. Fortunately, the victims managed to escape and return to Pakistan using emergency passports.

The FIA has now transferred the passengers to the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Karachi for further investigation and identification of the traffickers involved in these crimes.

The FIA reiterated its commitment to combating human trafficking and advised citizens to remain vigilant against fraudulent overseas employment offers.