At least 47 Pakistani nationals have been deported from Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, and seven other countries in the past 24 hours over allegations of illegal activities and other charges, immigration sources reported on Monday.
According to the sources, Saudi authorities expelled six Pakistanis on charges of drug trafficking, while four others were deported from Azerbaijan after being declared “unpleasant” individuals by officials.
Additionally, four Pakistani passengers attempting illegal entry into Malaysia and Iraq were sent back to Pakistan, as per immigration reports.
Two more Pakistani nationals were also deported from Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, the sources added.
Meanwhile, at least 30 Pakistanis traveling abroad were offloaded from flights at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport.
Immigration sources revealed that 14 of the offloaded passengers were pilgrims bound for Saudi Arabia for Umrah. They were intercepted due to hotel booking issues and insufficient funds for expenses abroad.
Additionally, two passengers traveling to the United Kingdom and Azerbaijan were offloaded, along with 14 individuals planning to travel to Iraq, Malaysia, Iran, and other countries on work visas.
In a related development, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Immigration unit at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport detained five passengers arriving from Mauritania for questioning.
According to an FIA spokesperson, the detainees are residents of Hafizabad, Gujranwala, and Swat.
Preliminary investigations revealed that travel agents had charged them between Rs2.5 million and Rs3.5 million for illegal passage to Europe. The individuals initially traveled to Mauritania via Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. However, upon arrival, they refused to take an illegal sea route to Europe and opted to return to Pakistan.
The detainees have been transferred to the Anti-Human Smuggling Circle in Karachi for further investigation and to identify the agents responsible. FIA Karachi Zone Director stated that travel documents are being strictly scrutinized, and action is being taken against human smugglers and their facilitators.
These developments come amid increased vigilance by immigration authorities. Last month, the FIA directed its deputy directors of immigration nationwide to intensify screening procedures to curb human trafficking.
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