The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Lahore has taken into custody 20 people, including two travel agents, passport office employees and an official of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) involved in a fake visa scandal. Four employees of passport office were suspended over the issue.
According to details, FIA officials on special directives of Adviser on Interior Rehman Malik launched an operation against people involved in the fake visa scandal and conducted raids in various localities of the city. During the raid, the FIA arrested 20 people in connection with the fake visa scandal. Four officials of Garden Town passport office were suspended for cooperating with the elements involved in the fake visas issue. Five female employees are among those arrested by FIA.
Meanwhile, a key suspect of the scandal, local politician Abid Chauhdry, has gone into hiding and raids are underway for his arrest while his name has been placed on the Exist Control List (ECL). Meanwhile, in London, a Downing Street spokesman said that highly-trained British agents have been in Pakistan working with authorities to prevent security breaches during the Olympic Games in London.
The news came as The Sun reported that a crime ring in Pakistan was offering to provide fake passports and visas, as well as help smuggle bogus individuals into Olympic venues posing as members of athletes’ support teams. Asked about the report at a daily media briefing in Westminster on Tuesday, the prime minister’s spokesman said: “My understanding is that we are confident that we have the checks in place and the arrangements in place to deal with these issues. The delegation lists for the Olympic Games are very tightly controlled and when it comes to Pakistan we have had highly-trained staff based in Pakistan dealing with the authorities there to deal with this.”