Minister of State for Interior & Narcotics Control Talal Chaudhry told the National Assembly on Friday that, under the Prime Minister\u2019s zero-tolerance policy on illegal immigration, strict action is being taken against human smuggling networks operating in and outside the country.
\nResponding to a calling attention notice about Pakistani citizens detained in Cambodia in connection with alleged cybercrime and scam-related cases after being trapped in fraudulent job schemes, he said that since June 2023, around 3,158 agents involved in illegal immigration facilitation have been arrested.
\nHe said assets worth millions of rupees belonging to these agents have been seized, while bank accounts holding large amounts of money have been frozen.
\nHe added that accountability action has also been taken within the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), where some officials were found to be involved in assisting such networks. In several cases, entire shifts were removed after investigations.
\nAccording to him, more than 100 FIA officials have faced disciplinary action, including criminal cases and convictions, over their alleged role in human smuggling.
\nThe minister said the ongoing crackdown aims to dismantle organised networks that exploit citizens through illegal migration routes and fake travel arrangements.
\nHe said passengers travelling abroad, even with valid passports and visas, are sometimes subjected to additional profiling and screening to stop misuse of legal travel channels.
\nHe explained that this system helps identify high-risk travel patterns linked to smuggling networks, though it has also led to complaints from passengers who were offloaded despite having complete documents.
\nHe said strengthened monitoring has reduced illegal migration attempts by an estimated 47 percent, calling it a significant improvement.
\nHe stressed that the purpose of the system is not to stop genuine travellers but to block human smuggling networks.
\nHe added that special focus has been placed on routes leading to Cambodia, where many Pakistanis were reportedly trapped in fake job schemes and later faced detention or legal action.
\nHe said such cases increased during 2024 and 2025, prompting stronger enforcement measures.
\nProviding further details, he said the FIA conducted 286 inquiries related to Cambodia, leading to 111 criminal cases.
\nHe added that profiling systems were developed to identify passengers using suspicious travel routes linked to illegal migration.
\nHe said 222 passengers have so far been offloaded at airports as a preventive step.
\nHe also stated that around 15,000 Pakistanis are currently in Cambodia, many of whom were misled by online job scams.
\nHe added that Cambodian authorities have also tightened regulations in response to the situation.
\nAround $1 million in fines imposed on 1,272 affected Pakistanis were waived through coordination efforts, while emergency travel documents and passports were provided to facilitate their return.
\nThis includes 631 emergency travel documents, 112 new passports, and 75 renewed passports.
\nHe confirmed that four Pakistani nationals had died in Cambodia and their bodies were repatriated.
\nHe said the route involves complex trafficking networks passing through countries including Thailand, Malaysia, and Myanmar before reaching Cambodia.
\nHe added that awareness campaigns by FIA and advisories from the Foreign Ministry continue, but many citizens still fall victim to agents and online fraud.
\nHe said a large number of affected Pakistanis have already been safely brought back through coordinated rescue efforts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Minister of State for Interior & Narcotics Control Talal Chaudhry told the National Assembly on Friday that, under the Prime Minister\u2019s zero-tolerance policy on illegal immigration, strict action is being taken against human smuggling networks operating in and outside the country. Responding to a calling attention notice about Pakistani citizens detained in Cambodia in connection […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":467966,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-547817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-national"],"yoast_head":"\n