Karachi family trapped in Saudi Arabia over narcotics smuggling allegations

KARACHI: A travel gang allegedly involved in smuggling narcotics under the guise of arranging Umrah trips has surfaced in Karachi, leaving an entire family stranded in Saudi Arabia, ARY News reported.

According to reports, a family of four from Karachi’s Surjani Town traveled to Saudi Arabia for Umrah on September 8. The group included 23-year-old Zahida, 26-year-old Jamil, 28-year-old Zakir, and 45-year-old Anwari. Jamil, a laborer, is the father of a 20-day-old son, while Zahida is the mother of two young daughters.

Family members said they lost contact with the group for 10 days, until September 19, when they received a call from a foreign number. They were informed that narcotics and other prohibited items had been recovered from the family’s luggage, and that their relatives were being held by Saudi authorities.

The family alleges that their luggage, including ihram and other Umrah-related belongings, was provided by a local travel agent named Ali, who did not allow them to take their own items. Since the incident, the Umrah agent has reportedly gone into hiding.

Relatives claim their family members are innocent and have been trapped in a false narcotics case. They have appealed to the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, and other top authorities to immediately intervene and secure the safe return of their loved ones.

Also Read: Govt publishes list of 113 approved Umrah companies

Earlier, the Ministry of Religious Affairs took a key step to protect Umrah pilgrims from fraud by releasing a verified list of Umrah companies.

According to the ministry, a list of 113 authorised Umrah companies has been published on its official website. The list will remain valid for the Islamic year 1447 Hijri.

The ministry advised all Umrah pilgrims to verify the company details on the official website before making any booking. It further instructed that all payments must be made through banks directly into the company’s official account.

The spokesperson also stressed that pilgrims must collect a payment receipt and a copy of the contract from the company to avoid any potential issues during their pilgrimage.