The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Islamabad Zone has arrested a man accused of taking £34,000 and Rs465,000 from a citizen on the promise of arranging a UK work visa, an official said on Wednesday.

The FIA Anti-Human Trafficking Circle Islamabad arrested Syed Majid Hussain in connection with case No. 330/2026. The complainant said the suspect collected the money to send his nephew to the United Kingdom as a mason on a work visa, but the visa never materialised.

According to the FIA, the suspect returned £25,500 but failed to refund the remaining £8,500 and Rs465,000. A case has been registered against him under Sections 18 and 22 of the Emigration Ordinance, 1979, read with Section 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The FIA said further interrogation of the arrested suspect was under way, and the investigation is being conducted by the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Islamabad.

FIA crackdown on visa fraud continues

The FIA Islamabad Zone said it would continue its crackdown on human trafficking, illegal immigration and visa fraud. The arrest is the latest in a series of FIA actions against agents and intermediaries accused of charging large sums for overseas work visas that are never delivered, leaving families out of pocket and, in some cases, stranded abroad without lawful status.

Officials have repeatedly warned people seeking work overseas to check the status of any visa offer through official channels before paying an agent, and to be wary of promises that seem too quick or too easy. Genuine UK work visas are issued under the UK’s own immigration rules, and no agent in Pakistan can guarantee one in exchange for a fee.

Karachi passenger offloaded over altered passport

In a separate development, the FIA offloaded a passenger at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi after immigration officials detected discrepancies in his passport, allegedly altered to conceal an earlier deportation from North Cyprus.

The passenger, identified as Saifullah from Sanghar, was travelling to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus via Istanbul on a study visa when officials stopped him during immigration clearance at Karachi airport. Records showed he had been refused entry and deported in March 2026, then offloaded at Lahore airport in June. Investigators allege he later removed visa and offloading stamps from his old passport.

Preliminary findings suggest an agent based in Cyprus arranged his travel documents. The FIA has transferred Saifullah and the documents to its Anti-Human Trafficking Circle for legal proceedings and further investigation. The allegations against the arrested men remain subject to investigation and due legal process, and they are presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court.