ISLAMABAD:
In a major crackdown, the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Anti-Human Smuggling Cell has unearthed a high-profile visa scam involving the fraudulent issuance of Pakistani e-visas to Afghan nationals using fake sponsorships, with alleged complicity of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Information.
According to the FIA spokesperson, two Afghan nationals were arrested during a targeted raid in Islamabad’s G-8 sector, while a case has been registered against six individuals. Raids are ongoing to apprehend the remaining suspects.
The accused were reportedly operating out of car showrooms in the G-8 area, running a sophisticated racket that circumvented immigration procedures and compromised national security.
The FIA stated that the entire operation facilitated unverified Afghan nationals in obtaining Pakistani e-visas within 24 to 48 hours, using forged sponsorship documents and stolen identification data, all without notifying intelligence agencies.
The FIR, lodged by an FIA officer, claims that the scam was led by Samiullah Afridi, a lower-grade staffer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collusion with Malik Muneebur Rehman, a travel agent, Nadir Raheem Abbasi, an employee at the Press Information Department (PID) and several others.
Financial transactions were routed through the bank accounts of Afridi’s cousin, Abdul Aziz Afridi, who owns a car showroom in G-8 and is the brother of a Foreign Office official posted as the deputy head of mission in Kabul.
A private bank account linked to Samiullah Afridi reportedly received nearly Rs40 million in suspicious transactions related to the visa racket.
One of the arrested suspects, Atif Ahmadzai, an Afghan national from Nangarhar province, was found to be running an online travel agency that facilitated e-visa applications using fraudulent means, including forged sponsorships, bypassing formal financial channels and using hawala/hundi methods for fund transfers.
The gang provided urgent tourist visas within 24 to 48 hours for $750 (with 80% allegedly pocketed by Ministry of Information employees).
They also offered other visa categories such as 10-day tourist visas, medical visas, and business visas, each for $350.
The network reportedly met in areas surrounding Islamabad, including G-8, and had set up a streamlined process for Afghan nationals to acquire Pakistani documents without security vetting. Innocent sponsors were unknowingly implicated, while legitimate visa applicants were deprived of their rights.
The scheme, according to the FIA, not only violated immigration protocols but also posed a significant threat to national security by potentially allowing terrorist elements to gain entry into Pakistan unchecked.
Acting on credible intelligence, the FIA raided the showroom and caught Abdul Aziz Afridi and Atif Ahmadzai red-handed.
Ahmadzai was found to be illegally residing in Pakistan and lacked valid travel documentation. Both suspects recorded statements confirming that Samiullah Afridi, Malik Muneebur Rehman, Nadir Raheem Abbasi and another Afghan national named Ahmad Afghani were active members of the ring and had been issuing e-visas illegally in exchange for hefty sums.
