The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested two women at Karachi airport who were attempting to travel to Saudi Arabia for alleged begging activities. According to an FIA immigration spokesperson, the women were taken into custody as they prepared to board their flight to the Kingdom.
The spokesperson revealed that the son of one of the arrested women is already in Saudi Arabia on an Umrah visa issued in 2022. "We are gathering further information into the matter," the official stated.
This incident follows a previous operation where the FIA offloaded 24 suspected beggars posing as Umrah pilgrims from a Saudi Arabia-bound flight at Multan airport. During the immigration process, these passengers admitted they were traveling to Saudi Arabia to seek alms.
The recent arrests align with concerns raised by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, which disclosed to the Senate Committee on Overseas Pakistanis that a significant number of beggars are trafficked abroad through illegal channels. The FIA continues to investigate these cases to curb human trafficking and related illegal activities.