Arrested passengers, including women, hail from Punjab’s Lodhran district
Islamabad
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Sunday barred a group of alleged beggars/human traffickers at Multan airport, as they attempted to enter Saudi Arabia under the pretext of embarking on an Umrah pilgrimage, Express News reported.
FIA spokesperson said that eight passengers, possessing Umrah visas, were primed for their journey to Saudi Arabia. However, during the standard immigration procedure, they failed to provide substantiated reasons for their travel.
Following intense questioning by immigration officials, the passengers disclosed their true intention: to beg in the name of charity in Saudi Arabia.
The offloaded passengers hailed from Punjab’s Lodhran district and comprised five men and three women. They revealed that Pakistani travel agents in Saudi Arabia were to receive them upon arrival and facilitate their begging efforts by positioning them in high-traffic pilgrimage areas.
In exchange for their “services”, the passengers were obligated to remit half of their alms collection back to the agents. Additionally, they disclosed that half of the money gathered was to be handed over to sub-agents, and they were to return to Pakistan upon the expiration of their Umrah visas. The passengers have been transferred to the FIA Composite Circle Multan for further investigation and to face legal action.
The issue of gangs of professional beggars, once notorious on the streets and squares of Pakistan, has now crossed international borders and become a growing concern in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and beyond.
