News Desk
MULTAN: Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested two passengers, including a woman, at Multan airport for allegedly being trafficked to Saudi Arabia for commercial sexual exploitation under the cover of Umrah visas.
According to the FIA, immigration officials stopped the two passengers during clearance after noticing suspicious behaviour as they prepared to travel to Saudi Arabia. They were referred to the shift in-charge for further questioning.
The agency said detailed questioning revealed important information about suspected human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. Officials also examined the passengers’ mobile phones, chats and other digital material, where they allegedly found evidence linked to sexual exploitation.
The FIA said investigators obtained details about a suspected organised network involved in the exploitation of people. According to preliminary findings, an agent had arranged the passengers’ travel to Saudi Arabia using Umrah visas.
The agency said the initial investigation suggested that the passengers were allegedly being sent to Saudi Arabia with the intention of subjecting them to commercial sexual exploitation.
The passengers’ mobile phones and other relevant material were taken into custody as part of the investigation. Both passengers, along with the digital devices and other evidence, were subsequently handed over to the FIA’s Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Multan.
Further investigation and legal proceedings are under way, the FIA said.
The agency said the scope of the investigation had been widened to identify other individuals allegedly involved in the suspected trafficking network. It added that legal action would be taken against those found to have been involved in human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.
The case comes amid continued efforts by Pakistani authorities to prevent the misuse of travel arrangements and visas for human trafficking and exploitation. The FIA said investigators were working to establish the full extent of the suspected network and identify all those involved.
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