FIA Books Four in Illegal Immigration Case
The Federal Investigation Agency has registered a case against four people, including two passengers deported from abroad, for allegedly attempting to reach Europe illegally. The illegal immigration case was registered in Chak Jhumra, and it centres on a journey that ran through Libya before an arrest on the way to Italy.
According to the FIA, Azhar Hussain and Ghulam Abbas were deported on October 27 and detained at Islamabad International Airport for questioning. Their accounts to investigators give the case its core facts, and they show how much money changed hands before the journey began.
What the two passengers told investigators
Azhar told investigators that he had paid Rs3.4 million to an agent. Abbas said he had paid Rs5.1 million. Those sums, taken together, come to Rs8.5 million for two journeys that ended in deportation rather than arrival.
Both men were allegedly taken through different countries to Libya. They were then arrested while attempting to enter Italy illegally. The FIA has also booked the alleged agents in the case, so the investigation covers both the travellers and the people accused of arranging the journey.
The case was registered under the Immigration Ordinance 1979 and the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act 2018. Those two laws give the FIA its framework for cases where people are moved across borders outside legal channels, and where agents profit from the movement.
Why the Libya route keeps appearing in such cases
Libya has featured in many smuggling routes towards Europe, because smugglers use its coast as a departure point for crossings to Italy. The journey carries grave risk, from detention and extortion on land to drowning at sea. Families often learn of the danger only after a relative has paid and left.
The FIA case is a reminder of that pattern in a local form. The two passengers were not stopped at a border far from home. They were deported, detained at Islamabad airport, and questioned about a journey that had already failed. Their statements now form the basis for action against the alleged agents.
For readers, the practical warning is plain. No agent can guarantee entry to Europe, and a large payment does not buy a safe or legal route. The sums in this case, Rs3.4 million and Rs5.1 million, show the scale of money that smugglers can extract from one family. That money is often raised through loans or the sale of land, which leaves families in debt even after deportation.
The law behind this illegal immigration case
The Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act 2018 targets the business of moving people illegally, rather than only the travellers themselves. The Immigration Ordinance 1979 covers unlawful entry and related immigration offences. By booking the alleged agents alongside the passengers, the FIA has aimed its case at the organisers as well as the journey.
Investigators will now need to trace the payments, identify the agents named in the statements, and establish the route taken through each country. The case against the agents will depend on that evidence, not on the passengers’ statements alone. The passengers’ own liability, if any, will be decided under the same laws and on the facts proved.
The FIA handles a wide range of cross-border and financial cases. It has probed wheat stock irregularities in Hafizabad, as reported in FIA probes Passco wheat bags in Hafizabad. Deportation and return have also featured in recent coverage, including the United States decision on Afghans in Pakistan, reported in US to deport Afghans from Pakistan. Questions of criminal liability and procedure arise in many such cases, as seen in the ruling that an FIR alone cannot bar public employment, covered in FIR alone cannot bar public employment.
What happens next
The FIA will continue its investigation into the agents and the route. Further arrests may follow if the payment trail leads to other organisers. The two deported passengers remain part of the case, and their statements will be tested against travel records and other evidence.
The case also serves as a warning for the coming months. Smuggling networks recruit through local contacts and promises of work abroad. Families who hear such offers should verify them through legal channels, and they should treat any demand for millions of rupees in cash as a danger sign.
No one should pay an agent for an illegal journey on the basis of a promise alone. The legal route may be slower, but it does not carry the same risk of detention, deportation and debt that this case shows.
Frequently asked questions
Who has the FIA booked in this case?
The FIA has booked four people, including two deported passengers, Azhar Hussain and Ghulam Abbas, and the alleged agents who arranged their journey.
How much did the two passengers say they paid?
Azhar said he paid Rs3.4 million to an agent, and Abbas said he paid Rs5.1 million. Together, the two payments come to Rs8.5 million.
Which route did the passengers allegedly take?
They were allegedly taken through different countries to Libya, and they were arrested while attempting to enter Italy illegally.
Under which laws was the case registered?
The case was registered under the Immigration Ordinance 1979 and the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act 2018.
What should families do when offered an illegal journey abroad?
They should not pay an agent for an illegal route. They should verify any work or travel offer through legal channels, and treat large cash demands as a warning sign.
