FIA orders improved system of profiling passengers for certain countries.
Youth travelling via Fly Dubai, Ethiopian Airlines to undergo strict screening.
Officials directed to properly scrutinise visit, tourist visas and other documents.
KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has directed its deputy directors of immigration across the country to be extra vigilant while clearing passengers for boarding planes to stop rampant human trafficking in the country, The News reported.
These officials have been directed to strictly monitor first-time foreign passengers between the ages of 15 and 40 during the immigration process in nine cities. Especially, the young passengers travelling via two specific airlines, including Ethiopian Airlines, should undergo strict screening process, the FIA advisory read.
As per the directives, an improved system of profiling passengers travelling to Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Senegal, Kenya, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Iran, Mauritania, Iraq, Turkiye, Qatar, Kuwait, and Kyrgyzstan should be implemented.
A statement issued by the probe agency said that Pakistanis used 15 countries as transit points for human smuggling to Europe.
It stated that the advisory was prepared based on an analysis of the IBMS database from July to December, during which the movement of passengers on visit, tourism, religious, or educational visas to these 15 countries was reviewed.
The immigration officials have been directed to ensure trict monitoring and profiling of passengers residing in Mandi Bahauddin, Gujarat, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Bhimber, Jhelum, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad and Sheikhupura should be completed.
All documents, including return tickets, hotel bookings, of such passengers should be thoroughly scrutinised, the order said.
Moreover, the documents should be scrutinised with special attention to visit or tourist visas, and strict interviews be conducted to ascertain the financial arrangements of suspicious passengers along with their travel purpose.
The FIA directed all the immigration officers to keep a detailed record of all such cases and report any suspicious matter immediately.
Sources said that due to lack of a clear advisory policy at the country’s airports for the last 20 years, officials showed hesitancy in offloading the passengers.