KARACHI – The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) uncovered a new suspected illegal route to Australia via Bahrain and the Republic of Palau.
The FIA’s Immigration Karachi stopped three Pakistani passengers at Jinnah International Airport who were allegedly attempting to travel under the cover of an Umrah trip.
The three passengers were travelling on Saudi Arabia Umrah visas when immigration officials became suspicious of their behaviour during clearance and referred them for detailed questioning.
The passengers were identified as Nadeem Iqbal, Shehzad Ali and Samar Shehzad, residents of Hafizabad and Sargodha.
During the investigation, officials examined their travel documents and mobile phones and found Bahrain visit visas as well as visas for the Republic of Palau.
The passengers allegedly told authorities that their plan was to stay in Saudi Arabia for around three days before travelling to Bahrain and then the Republic of Palau as part of their intended journey to Australia.
According to the passengers’ statements, an agent identified as Naeem Murshid, a resident of Multan, had allegedly arranged the visas and travel plans for Rs2.5 million per passenger.
