KARACHI – The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has uncovered a suspected organised begging network operating in Saudi Arabia that allegedly used hawala-hundi channels to transfer collected funds abroad.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Immigration said that two passengers, residents of Faisalabad, arrived in Karachi from Saudi Arabia and were intercepted during clearance on suspicious grounds.
The initial investigations revealed that both individuals had travelled on Umrah visas. They admitted to arranging their travel through an agent. Further inquiry led to the exposure of a wider network allegedly involved in sending individuals abroad for begging and collecting donations.
Officials said the network operated in Saudi Arabia, where individuals collected alms, which were then transferred through hawala-hundi channels to an agent based in Canada. During the investigation, another facilitator was identified, who is allegedly responsible for organizing travel arrangements for individuals sent abroad for begging activities.
Investigators also traced a bank account used for transferring funds linked to the network. Receipts and voice notes were recovered from the mobile phones of the suspects, providing further evidence.
Both individuals have been taken into custody and handed over to the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle (AHTC) in Karachi for further investigation, where inquiries are continuing.
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