KARACHI – The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has issued a rare advisory, asking its officials of the immigration department to strictly monitor the passengers at airports in order to tackle increasing human trafficking in the country.
They have been directed to exercise extra vigilance while clearing the passengers of aged between 15 and 40 before they board the planes. The advisory also called for stricter monitoring of young passengers travelling via two specific airlines, including Ethiopian Airlines.
The immigration officials have also been directed to implement improved system for screening of passengers travelling to Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Senegal, Kenya, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Iran, Mauritania, Iraq, Turkiye, Qatar, Kuwait, and Kyrgyzstan.
As per the advisory, Pakistani citizens mostly used 15 countries as transit points for human smuggling to Europe.
The advisory was issued after reviewing movement of passengers on visit, tourism, religious, or educational visas to these 15 countries
The immigration officials have also been directed to ensure strict profiling of passengers residing in Mandi Bahauddin, Gujarat, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Bhimber, Jhelum, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad and Sheikhupura.
It said all documents, including return tickets, hotel bookings, of such passengers should be thoroughly scrutinized, adding that interviews should also be conducted to ascertain the financial arrangements of suspicious passengers.
The FIA has directed all immigration officers to maintain the record of all such cases and share it with headquarters.
