FIA Recovers Rs3.8 Million in Portugal Work Visa Fraud CasePakistan

The suspect allegedly took 12,000 euros, worth around Rs3.8 million, from a citizen named Wajid Hussain by promising him a job and a work permit in Portugal.

However, the suspect failed to fulfil his promise, after which the matter was taken up for inquiry, officials said.

Sub Inspector Ansa Taiba conducted the inquiry and completed all the necessary legal and departmental formalities, according to the FIA.

The recovered money was later handed over to the complainant, Wajid Hussain, officials said.

Cases of this kind are investigated by the FIA’s anti-human trafficking circles, which deal with complaints from people who say they paid agents for overseas jobs or travel documents that never materialised.

The FIA has taken action in similar cases in recent weeks, including action against fake visas and fraud linked to overseas employment, as people seeking work abroad continue to fall prey to agents making false promises.

Officials have in the past urged people to verify overseas job offers and visa arrangements through official channels before handing over money to any agent.

The amount recovered, 12,000 euros, was handed back in full to the complainant after the inquiry was completed, officials said, bringing the case to a close for the man who had paid for a job that never came through.

The FIA has taken action in similar cases in recent weeks. Earlier on Sunday, the agency foiled an attempt to travel on fake Turkish visas at Lahore airport, and in a separate case it is investigating a woman accused of a UK visa fraud worth Rs52 million.

Such cases are a reminder of the risks faced by people seeking work overseas, where agents sometimes demand large payments in advance for jobs and permits that do not exist. Officials have in the past urged people to verify overseas job offers and visa arrangements through official channels before handing over money to any agent.