Passenger Bound for Australia Suspected of Being Afghan National, FIA Investigation Uncovers Major Discrepancies
KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Immigration Karachi has uncovered significant discrepancies in the identity and travel records of a passenger bound for Australia, who is suspected of being an Afghan national.
The passenger, identified as Shahab Hussain, was transferred to the FIA Anti-Human Trafficking Circle for further investigation after immigration officials found inconsistencies in his travel history and identity documents.
According to the FIA spokesperson, the passenger was travelling to Australia on a partner visa sponsored by his Australian citizen wife through flight UL184.
During scrutiny of immigration records, officials found that the Integrated Border Management System (IBMS) contained no record of his departure from Pakistan. His first available entry in the system was recorded on September 2, 2020, upon his arrival in Islamabad on an emergency passport.
During preliminary questioning, the passenger reportedly disclosed that he had travelled abroad through Afghanistan to Dubai and subsequently proceeded to Indonesia on an Indian passport. He allegedly presented himself as an Indian national and applied for asylum in Indonesia.
A UNHCR card issued in 2018 and an asylum application were also recovered from his possession.
Further investigation revealed that after returning to Pakistan, the passenger obtained a new passport, national identity card, local certificate and police character certificate, none of which reportedly reflected details of his previous stay abroad.
He also submitted an affidavit declaring his passport lost, the circumstances and details of which are being examined by investigators.
The FIA also identified certain discrepancies concerning the identity and travel documents of the passenger’s wife, who sponsored his Australian visa. These include conflicting particulars recorded on Pakistani national identity documents, an Afghan passport and an Australian passport.
Investigations into these discrepancies are ongoing.
The FIA Immigration Karachi subsequently handed over the passenger, along with the recovered documents and relevant records, to the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle Karachi for further investigation and legal proceedings.
The FIA spokesperson said timely identification and detailed scrutiny by immigration officials had helped bring the suspicious case to the attention of the relevant investigative authorities.
The agency reiterated its commitment to preventing identity and travel document fraud, as well as other illegal activities involving immigration and international travel.
