The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested a man accused of defrauding a Pakistani citizen of more than Rs1.2 million by falsely promising to arrange a work visa for Poland.

The arrest was carried out by the FIA’s Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Rawalpindi. The suspect has been identified as Wajahat Haider.

According to the FIA, Haider allegedly received Rs1.202 million from the victim after assuring him that a Polish work visa would be arranged. Investigators have recovered Rs115,000 from the suspect so far, and efforts are under way to recover the remaining Rs1.087 million.

The investigation is being led by FIA Inspector Waheed Khan. Officials are also examining whether other people were involved in the scheme, and the agency says their roles will be determined as the inquiry progresses.

The FIA’s Islamabad Zone said it remained committed to legal action against people involved in human trafficking and visa fraud. “The FIA remains determined to take strict legal action against all involved in human trafficking and visa fraud,” the agency said, underlining that offenders would be brought to justice.

The case is the latest in a series of FIA actions against agents who target Pakistanis seeking work abroad. Earlier in the week, the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle arrested a travel agent in Hyderabad accused of a similar fraud.

That suspect, identified as Shahmeer, allegedly took Rs480,000 from a citizen named Aftab Ismail on the false promise of employment in Saudi Arabia. Instead of the promised job, the victim was sent to Saudi Arabia on a visit visa and put to manual labour rather than the driving work he had been promised.

The FIA said Shahmeer had returned Rs275,000 to the complainant, while Rs205,000 remained unpaid. A case has been registered against the travel agent under the Immigration Ordinance, and investigators are looking into the circumstances in which the visit visa was issued.

The two cases highlight the risks faced by Pakistanis who pay large sums to intermediaries in the hope of securing overseas employment. With growing numbers of people seeking work abroad, fraudulent visa promises can wipe out family savings and leave victims without legal work or valid permits in a foreign country.

The FIA has urged workers and their families to check the credentials of travel agents and to use official channels before making any payment connected with overseas employment. Anyone offered a foreign work visa in exchange for a large upfront fee should verify the offer through the relevant authorities first, rather than relying on an agent’s word alone.