Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday arrested four passengers, including three women, at Sialkot International Airport for their alleged involvement in organised beggary in Saudi Arabia.
According to FIA officials, the group — identified as Shah Nawaz, Shahzia, Sonia, and Farzana Bibi, all residents of Islamabad — had returned from Saudi Arabia via Oman. They were intercepted during immigration checks due to suspicious travel patterns and later confessed to participating in organised begging activities abroad.
Officials said the suspects had travelled on Umrah visas arranged through an agent identified as Muhammad Siddique Akbar, reportedly based in Saudi Arabia. The agent allegedly facilitated their travel for Rs250,000 per person, with payments made from proceeds earned through begging.
FIA Gujranwala Director Muhammad Bin Ashraf said the individuals had misused religious pilgrimage visas to enter Saudi Arabia. He added that the FIA plans to contact Saudi authorities through the embassy to seek action against the alleged main facilitator behind the begging network.
Authorities said further investigation is underway to identify wider links of the racket operating between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.