GUJRANWALA: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested 22 men accused of posing as professional footballers after Japanese immigration authorities exposed their forged travel documents and deported them back to Pakistan.
According to FIA officials, the group travelled to Japan wearing football kits and claimed to be registered with the Pakistan Football Federation, saying they had matches lined up with a local club. Immigration officers in Japan, however, detected irregularities during questioning and sent them back.
The FIA spokesperson said the operation’s mastermind, Malik Waqas, had set up a fake football club called Golden Football Trial to facilitate the scheme. He was arrested in Gujranwala, while another trafficker, Ali, was detained by the FIA’s Composite Circle Gujranwala.
Investigators revealed that organisers charged each man Rs4 million for the trip and provided them with forged documents and basic training to act like professional players. During interrogation, Waqas admitted he had used the same method earlier, sending 17 people to Japan in January 2024.
“The arrest of Waqas Ali is a significant development in the ongoing efforts to dismantle human trafficking networks operating in the country,” an FIA spokesperson said, adding that efforts were under way to identify and apprehend his facilitators.
A case has been registered at FIA’s Gujranwala police station, and further inquiries are in progress.
The incident highlights the persistence of human trafficking networks in Pakistan, where scores of people attempt to leave the country illegally each year in search of better opportunities, often risking exploitation or tragedy along the way.
Read More: Robbers flee with Rs220m after ambush on cash van in Kech
Just last month, the United Nations in Pakistan launched the Pakistan United Nations Network on Migration (UNNM) to strengthen migration governance and combat trafficking and smuggling. The initiative aligns with the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, aiming for a collaborative national approach to the problem.
Authorities said the latest arrests underscore the urgent need for stronger action against organised trafficking rackets exploiting citizens under the guise of sports, jobs, or study abroad opportunities.
