FIA offloads passenger at Karachi airport over suspicious travel documents

KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency's immigration wing said on Thursday it stopped a passenger at Jinnah International Airport who was allegedly attempting to travel onward to Spain through Morocco using suspicious documents.

According to an FIA spokesperson, immigration officials intercepted the passenger during clearance for a Morocco-bound flight. The traveller was identified as Faisal Murad, a resident of Swat, who was travelling on a visit visa.

The spokesperson said officials examined his travel papers and mobile phone and found incriminating material. During questioning, the passenger admitted he had been in contact with an agent, identified as Bahadur Khan of Peshawar, who had allegedly sought Rs3 million to arrange the illegal trip.

Officials further said the passenger could not satisfactorily explain the purpose of his visit. They added that he did not have a hotel booking and also lacked sufficient financial means to support his stay abroad.

The FIA said the action prevented an attempt to travel illegally to Spain via Morocco.

Earlier child smuggling attempt also cited

In a separate development mentioned by the FIA spokesperson, immigration authorities had earlier thwarted an attempt to take a child abroad after acting on a video that had circulated on social media.

According to the spokesperson, that incident took place in 2025, when a woman passenger, Kiran Sohail, was travelling to Mozambique with her family. During immigration clearance, officials stopped her after noticing discrepancies in her travel documents.

Further examination showed that a minor travelling with her was not biologically related to the woman, the spokesperson said.

The two incidents were cited by the FIA as part of its ongoing scrutiny of passengers during immigration clearance at airports.

In the latest case at Karachi airport, the agency said the passenger was intercepted before departure after officials reviewed his documents and digital records. The FIA spokesperson linked the case to an alleged plan to use Morocco as a transit point for illegal travel to Spain.

The agency's account said the suspect's own statement during questioning pointed to contact with an agent in Peshawar. Officials also relied on the absence of supporting travel arrangements and financial resources in concluding that the stated purpose of travel could not be justified.

In the earlier case involving travel to Mozambique, the FIA said it had taken notice of a video circulating online before stopping the passenger during clearance. The spokesperson said the subsequent scrutiny of documents led officials to identify irregularities and determine that the child accompanying the woman was not her biological offspring.