The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested seven suspects in Karachi for allegedly operating a long-running fraud network that promised to send people to Europe in exchange for large sums of money.
Speaking at a press conference, FIA Deputy Director of the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell Muhammad Ajmal said the suspects were arrested during a raid in North Nazimabad.
According to the FIA, the group had been operating under different names and had rented a building in the area to establish an office for its alleged activities.
Ajmal said the suspects allegedly lured victims with promises of overseas employment and immigration opportunities, charging between Rs800,000 and Rs1 million per person.
During the raid, authorities recovered hundreds of passports, weapons, police uniforms, and laptop computers from the suspects’ possession.
The FIA alleged that when victims demanded their visas or questioned delays, members of the group allegedly dressed in police uniforms and threatened them.
According to the agency, at least 52 people have so far been identified as victims, while investigators believe the alleged fraud network had been operating for the past five years.