Karachi, December 9, 2024: Nine Pakistani passengers arriving in Karachi from Cambodia were detained by immigration authorities after being deceived by agents operating in Pakistan and India.
According to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the detained passengers—identified as Waqar Younis, Muhammad Owais, Jalees-ul-Hassan, Salman Ali, Danish Ali, Saeem Shabbir, Aqeel Ahmed, Zain Amjad, and Moheb Ali Asghar—will be questioned to gather information about the agents responsible for their ordeal.
The passengers arrived in Karachi aboard flight TG-341, traveling from Cambodia via Thailand. Preliminary investigations revealed that the passengers were duped by Pakistani agents and Indian agents operating in the UAE. The victims were lured to Cambodia with false promises and were forcibly involved in financial crimes, fraudulent calls, and bonded labor.
The passengers reported being held hostage and subjected to physical abuse in Cambodia. They alleged that their wages were withheld, and their passports confiscated. Saeem Shabbir claimed that an agent in Muzaffarabad took PKR 650,000 under the pretext of freelance job opportunities.
Two other passengers, Muhammad Owais and Salman Ali, said they each paid PKR 600,000 to an agent named Abu Huraira in Okara. Similarly, Waqar Younis and Jalees-ul-Hassan Qureshi reported being subjected to illegal activities and handed over to a criminal group upon reaching Cambodia. They faced torture for refusing to cooperate.
The passengers disclosed that they were held captive until they paid large sums for their release. Danish Ali, Moheb Ali Asghar, Zain Amjad, and Aqeel Ahmed also shared details of fraud and forced involvement in unlawful activities at the hands of their agents.
With assistance from the Pakistani Embassy in Cambodia, the passengers secured emergency passports and returned to Pakistan. Upon arrival, they were handed over to the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Karachi for further investigation and legal action.
An FIA spokesperson stated that legal proceedings would be initiated against the agents involved in human trafficking. “No one will be allowed to exploit innocent lives for personal gain,” the spokesperson affirmed.
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