FIA targets alleged visa fraud operation in Karachi

Karachi: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested members of an alleged visa fraud gang operating in Karachi, accused of scamming people by promising employment visas for countries including Italy, Dubai and Qatar.

Speaking to Dialogue Pakistan, FIA Deputy Director Muhammad Ajmal said the agency conducted a raid in North Nazimabad two days ago, where it uncovered a network allegedly involved in defrauding job seekers.

According to Ajmal, the gang had been continuously collecting money from people by promising to arrange work visas for Italy, Dubai and Qatar. He said the suspects operated under different company names across Karachi, and whenever people discovered they had allegedly been defrauded, the group would shift offices, register a new company under a different name and resume operations.

According to him, the suspects changed their company names and locations two to three times before eventually renting an entire building in Block L, North Nazimabad, from where they were allegedly running the operation. He added that the FIA recovered a large number of weapons, laptops and forged documents during the raid.

He further alleged that when victims realised they had been cheated and demanded their money back, the suspects would impersonate police officers to intimidate them. He claimed they threatened victims with weapons to discourage them from pursuing refunds or taking legal action.

Several victims also shared their experiences with Dialogue Pakistan.

One victim said, "I wanted to send my two children abroad. I even sold my flat to arrange the money, but they took all of it and later threatened me."

The same victim further alleged, "They threatened us by claiming that one of their associates was connected to the High Court. They even gave us a letter stating that our money would be returned on July 25."

Another victim claimed, "They kept giving us new dates instead of returning our money."

A third victim said, "We wanted to obtain a Qatar visa. I paid Rs330,000, and my friend also paid the same amount. Instead of sending us abroad, they left us burdened with debt and achieved nothing."

The victims also showed Dialogue Pakistan refund invoices that they said had been issued by the alleged fraudulent company, claiming they were repeatedly promised repayments that never materialised.

According to the FIA, weapons, laptops and allegedly forged documents were recovered during the raid. Authorities said investigations are underway to determine the full extent of the network, identify other possible accomplices and establish how many people may have been affected by the alleged visa fraud scheme.