Group of Beggars fleeing to Saudi Arabia arrested

Anti-Human Trafficking Circle Lahore conducted an operation and arrested 4 suspects, including 2 women and 2 men, who went to Saudi Arabia to beg under the guise of Umrah.

The accused were offloaded by FIA Immigration at Lahore Airport and handed over to the police. The arrested suspects have gone to Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq several times to beg. The accused were to be received by Pakistani agents on their arrival in Saudi Arabia.

During investigation, the accused further revealed that half of the money earned through begging was to be given to their sub-agent. According to the FIA ​​spokesperson, a case has been registered against the accused and the agents and further investigation has been started.

This is the second attempt to arrest such groups within ten days, as last group was arrested in Multan, where according to the FIA, the group, consisting of 16 persons, including a child, 11 women and four men, was initially traveling on Umrah visas.

The FIA officials during the immigration process questioned the passengers who confessed that they were going to visit the KSA to seek donations.

They also discovered that they would have to give half of their earnings from begging to the agents involved in their travel arrangements. They were to return to Pakistan after the expiry of their Umrah visas. The FIA Multan circle arrested the passengers for further interrogation and legal action.

The arrests came a day after the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development disclosed to the Senate Committee on Overseas Pakistanis that a significant proportion of beggars are trafficked abroad through illegal channels.

The ministry’s secretary revealed to the Senate panel that a staggering 90 percent of beggars apprehended in foreign countries belong to Pakistan.

“Both the Iraqi and Saudi ambassadors have reported overcrowded jails due to these arrests,” he had said.