The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Gujranwala has arrested a notorious human smuggler, Waqas Ali, involved in sending fake football team to Japan, in a major crackdown against illegal immigration networks.
According to authorities, the accused used forged documents to send 17 individuals to Japan by falsely presenting them as members of a football team.
The FIA revealed that Waqas Ali had created a fake registration certificate of the Pakistan Football Federation and a counterfeit no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Using these documents, the individuals were granted visit visas to Japan and were sent abroad on January 1, 2024.
Officials said that each person paid between PKR 4 to 4.5 million (approx. USD 13,000 to 15,000) for the scheme. The FIA further confirmed that Waqas Ali already has multiple human trafficking cases registered against him in Gujranwala.
During the latest operation, authorities seized fake documents, counterfeit letterheads of the football federation, and other incriminating evidence. Further investigation is currently underway.
It should be noted that Pakistan faces a severe human trafficking crisis. Despite over 18,000 investigations in 2023, only 10 convictions were secured, highlighting systemic failures and impunity for officials. International trafficking routes and internal bonded labor networks continue to thrive amid weak enforcement and corruption.
