Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Islamabad has busted a gang involved in human trafficking, the 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Friday.
According to a spokesperson of FIA, a team headed by inspector Syed Shabbir Abbas conducted a successful operation in Islamabad and seized fake travel documents from Canada and Europe.
The team arrested a ringleader identified as Chaudhry Zulfikar Ali and his accomplice Shahzad Sharif, both were running a network that used to extort millions of rupees from innocent citizens in the name of Canadian and European visas.
A large number of Pakistani passports with fake Canadian visa stickers were recovered from their possession.
They used to charge Rs 4 million per visa from simple people. The spokesperson further informed that accused Shehzad Sharif had created a WhatsApp from a Canadian number, through which he used to settle matters regarding Canadian work visas by deceiving simple people while sitting in Islamabad.
The accused used to take simple people to Gerry's visa office in Islamabad and submit their cases. The accused also write their cell numbers and e-mail address on the application forms so that Gerry’s office would contact them only.
Later, the accused take back the passports of the innocent people themselves and stick fake visas on them and extort huge amounts of money.
The FIA has obtained four-day physical remand of the accused from a local court for further probe. Further investigation is underway.