New ‘Dunki Route’ to Australia via Bahrain and Palau Uncovered Under Umrah Travel

KARACHI:The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Immigration Karachi has foiled an alleged attempt by three Pakistani passengers to travel to Australia through an irregular route under the guise of an Umrah journey.

According to officials, the FIA intercepted the three passengers at Jinnah International Airport after their suspicious behavior during immigration clearance. The passengers were traveling on Saudi Arabia Umrah visas and were taken aside for detailed questioning and verification.

The passengers were identified as Nadeem Iqbal, Shahzad Ali and Samar Shahzad, residents of Hafizabad and Sargodha.

During the detailed inspection, authorities examined their travel documents and mobile phones and found Bahrain visit visas as well as visas for the Republic of Palau.

According to officials, the passengers revealed that their plan was to stay in Saudi Arabia for around three days before traveling onward to Bahrain and then the Republic of Palau.

The passengers allegedly told authorities that an agent, identified as Naeem Murshid and reportedly a resident of Multan, had arranged the visas and travel arrangements for Rs2.5 million per passenger.

The FIA is continuing its investigation into the alleged network and the planned route to Australia.