Seven held in FIA raid on passport agent mafia

LAHORE:On the directives of Federal Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Lahore Zone has intensified its crackdown on the passport agent mafia.

In a major operation, the FIA’s Anti-Human Trafficking Circle raided the Garden Town Passport Office late night, arresting seven agents. The detained individuals have been identified as Kamran, Allah Ditta, Sufiyan, Ali Raza, Asif, Ikram, and M Asif, all belonging to different areas of Lahore.

According to FIA officials, the suspects were illegally charging citizens for expediting passport services. They lured applicants with promises of quick processing and extorted additional fees. During the operation, FIA recovered tokens, bank challans, receipts, and other evidence from the arrested individuals. Further investigations have been initiated, and additional raids are being conducted to apprehend more suspects.

The scope of the investigation was expanded to determine any possible involvement of passport office employees. The FIA Lahore Zone Director praised the team’s performance and reiterated that the crackdown on the agent mafia will continue without discrimination.