374 Chinese nationals arrested in Pakistan during crackdown: Sources

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) have launched a joint crackdown, resulting in the arrest of at least 374 Chinese nationals under the Foreigners Act, 1946, sources said.

According to sources, the FIA arrested 258 Chinese nationals who failed to produce valid documents establishing their legal status or stay in Pakistan. The NCCIA arrested 116 Chinese nationals during a crackdown on illegal call centres in Islamabad, sources said.

The arrested Chinese nationals will be kept at Sparco Plaza in Islamabad, which has been designated as a sub-jail, according to sources. The Chief Commissioner has already issued a notification declaring Sparco Plaza a sub-jail.

The crackdown comes amid heightened scrutiny of the activities and legal status of foreign nationals in Pakistan.

Pakistan has also launched a nationwide crackdown on undocumented Afghan nationals.

The federal government has accelerated the repatriation of Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan without valid visas under the Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan (IFRP) – a phased initiative by the Government of Pakistan aimed at identifying and deporting foreign nationals residing in the country without valid visas or legal documentation.

580kg of human placentas aimed for anti-ageing injections seized at airport: FIA

Earlier, the FIA had claimed to have busted an alleged organ-smuggling network involving Chinese nationals in Pakistan after seizing nearly 580 kilograms of human placentas at an airport.

The disclosure was made during a hearing of the case before a district and sessions court in Islamabad, which extended the physical remand of five suspects, including three Chinese nationals, by one day to facilitate further investigation.

The investigating officer told the court that the suspects were allegedly attempting to smuggle around 30 cartons containing human placentas to Vietnam.

He said the seized placentas weighed approximately 580 kilograms and that further time was required to complete the investigation.