PESHAWAR: The FIA conducted a raid on a hostel in Taj area here and arrested 14 Afghan nationals, officials said on Saturday.
“They were allegedly planning to go to the Saudi Arabia,” FIA officials said.
The accused had paid Rs. 25 to 28 Lac to agents for the fake national identity cards, FIA said.
Officials claimed that an organized international network has been involved in the matter. FIA said that the NADRA and the passport offices’ role has also been under the scrutiny.
“Fake Pakistani passports have also been recovered from the arrested accused in the raid,” FIA added.
In 2024 the FIA arrested 34 Afghan nationals attempting to travel abroad using fake Pakistani passports. The suspects had allegedly entered Pakistan illegally through the Chaman border and were caught in Peshawar.
The suspects used to obtain fake Pakistani identity cards and passports through agents to travel abroad.
The FIA earlier said that persons operating as ‘agents’ and preparing fake documentation for the issuance of passports in connivance with officials of the National Database Regulatory Authority (NADRA).