FIA Anti-Corruption Circle Islamabad Takes Action; KP Residents Charged Rs20,000 per Case for Priority Passports Using Fake Addresses, Money Trail Linked to Official Revealed

Islamabad (Report: Izhar Khan Niazi): The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Anti-Corruption Circle Islamabad has carried out a major operation against the tout and agent mafia operating outside the G-10 Passport Office, exposing an organised network allegedly exploiting citizens in the name of obtaining emergency and priority passports. Three suspects were arrested during the operation, while the alleged involvement of an official of the Passport Office also came to light.

According to the FIA, a targeted operation was conducted on the basis of credible information after approval from the competent authority. During the operation, the alleged main suspect, Muhammad Muzammil, was arrested. Initial investigations revealed that the suspect particularly targeted citizens from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and charged Rs20,000 per case for arranging priority passport processing using fake residential addresses in Islamabad.

Following the suspect’s identification, two more suspects, Naseer Ahmed and Muhammad Tasawwur, were also arrested. According to the FIA, forensic examination of the suspects’ mobile phones revealed that Naseer Ahmed used WhatsApp to send citizens’ token numbers to a Passport Office official named Raza, who allegedly provided box IDs in response, enabling the priority processing of passport applications.

The investigation further revealed that Passport Office official Raza allegedly received substantial amounts for each case through an Easypaisa account. Clear evidence of financial transactions and a money trail between the official and the network has reportedly been uncovered.

The FIA registered a case against the suspects under the relevant sections of the law and presented them before the court. The court subsequently approved a two-day physical remand for further investigation. According to the agency, the role of Passport Office official Raza and other possible facilitators will also be determined as the investigation proceeds.

The FIA has appealed to citizens to approach the relevant government department directly for public services instead of contacting touts or agents and to immediately report such illegal activities to the agency. Further investigation is underway.