Three Passengers Offloaded From Baku Flight
The Federal Investigation Agency Immigration Wing has foiled an alleged human smuggling attempt at Lahore Airport.
Three passengers were offloaded during the operation. They included a father and his two sons.
According to an FIA Lahore Zone spokesperson, the passengers were scheduled to travel from Lahore to Baku on flight PA468.
Immigration officials stopped them during clearance after finding their travel details suspicious.
The passengers were then shifted to a verification counter for further checking.
Officials said the initial screening raised concerns about their travel purpose and documents.
Albanian Visas and Digital Evidence Recovered
During verification, FIA immigration authorities recovered Albanian visas from the passengers.
Officials also found digital material linked to Serbia.
According to investigators, mobile phone data showed contact with suspected travel agents.
These agents are believed to be linked to an alleged human smuggling network.
The FIA said the recovered evidence suggested that the passengers were not travelling for ordinary tourism or business purposes.
Instead, investigators believe they were using multiple countries as part of an illegal route to Europe.
The agency said the planned route involved Azerbaijan and Serbia before entering Italy illegally.
Agent Allegedly Demanded Rs4 Million Per Person
FIA officials said the passengers admitted that an agent had arranged their travel plan.
They told investigators that the agent had promised to smuggle them into Italy.
According to the FIA, the agent demanded Rs4 million from each passenger for the illegal journey.
The passengers allegedly said they had already paid Rs3.4 million per person.
After the inquiry, FIA Immigration Lahore handed the passengers over to the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle Lahore.
Further investigation and legal proceedings are now underway.
Authorities said efforts are being made to identify and arrest the agents involved in the alleged smuggling network.
The FIA has increased monitoring at airports to stop illegal migration attempts.
Officials say passengers using fake routes, suspicious visas, or agent-backed travel plans will face strict action.
The latest case highlights the growing threat of human smuggling networks targeting people seeking illegal entry into Europe.
