Islamabad: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has apprehended three additional individuals suspected of involvement in the production of counterfeit Pakistani passports for Afghan nationals. These arrests were made by the FIA’s anti-corruption unit in Attock, following the identification of the accused by Dost Mohammad, who had been previously detained.
According to FIA statements, the arrested individuals were operating as ‘agents’ and were collaborating with officials from the National Database Regulatory Authority (NADRA) to fabricate documentation for passport issuance. The apprehended suspects are scheduled to appear in court on Saturday to face charges.
Earlier on February 13, the FIA detained 15 suspects, including seven officers from NADRA and Passport Immigration, in connection with the same case of fraudulent Pakistani passport issuance to Afghan nationals. Among those arrested were three Assistant Directors from Passport Immigration and four NADRA officers. Additionally, four agents and five Afghan nationals were also taken into custody during the operation, initiated based on complaints from NADRA and the Passport Office.
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The FIA disclosed that the criminal network was involved in the distribution of counterfeit Pakistani passports on an international scale. So far, a total of 16 individuals have been arrested in connection with this case.