A Pakistani man, previously deported from Saudi Arabia for begging, was apprehended by immigration personnel at Karachi airport while attempting to return to the kingdom.
The immigration staff reportedly offloaded the passenger, identified as Alehandro Panhwar, from a flight bound for Saudi Arabia at the Jinnah International Airport and arrested him.
A spokesperson of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said that the passenger’s name was already in the blacklist category.
The FIA officials also revealed that Panhwar had travelled to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on an Umrah visa in 2019. During his stay, he was involved in beggary and was subsequently arrested by the Saudi police. He was later deported to Pakistan in June 2023.
Following his deportation, Panhwar’s name was added to the blacklist to prevent him from travelling abroad again. However, he attempted to secure re-entry to KSA by paying Rs240,000 to a travel agent named Abdul Shakoor for a visa and ticket.
The authorities further said that the agent had “advised” Panhwar to resume begging upon reaching Saudi Arabia.
The suspect has now been handed over to the FIA Karachi’s Anti-Human Trafficking Circle for further legal action.
Investigations into the agent’s involvement and possible human smuggling activities are also underway.
In October this year, the probe agency also arrested eight passengers who were trying to travel abroad on fake documents in two separate operations at the Jinnah International Airport. The investigations revealed that the suspects were flying to the Gulf country intending to beg there, under the pretext of performing Umrah.
Several Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, expressed their concerns regarding Pakistani expatriates and the labour force earlier this year, with a Pakistani official confirming that the people travel to KSA on Umrah visas and then indulge in begging-related activities.
In a meeting on dismantling the beggar mafias last month, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assured the Saudi authorities of taking effective measures against elements involved in sending beggars from Pakistan to the kingdom.
The security czar also said that 4,300 individuals had been placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) as part of Pakistan’s zero-tolerance policy.
