Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has uncovered a sophisticated human trafficking racket in which men posed as professional football players in an attempt to illegally enter Japan. Officials confirmed that 22 suspects were apprehended after Japanese immigration authorities exposed the fraudulent scheme and deported the individuals back to Pakistan. The suspects, all claiming to be athletes, had traveled in full football gear to bolster their cover and carried forged no-objection certificates (NOCs) purportedly issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They also falsely asserted affiliations with the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) to appear legitimate.
The deception began to unravel when Japanese officers, suspicious of inconsistencies during questioning, flagged the group and determined that their documents and claims were fabricated. While the suspects were promptly deported, serious questions have arisen over how they managed to board flights from Pakistani airports without their forged paperwork being detected, highlighting potential lapses in local airport checks and security protocols.
Following initial inquiries, investigators traced the scheme to Malik Waqas, a resident of Pasroor in Sialkot. According to FIA officials, Waqas had established a fake football entity named Golden Football Trial, through which he orchestrated the racket. He allegedly charged each aspirant between Rs 4 million and Rs 4.5 million for the opportunity to travel under the guise of professional sports players. On September 15, the FIA’s Composite Circle in Gujranwala arrested Waqas and registered multiple cases against him, dismantling the immediate operation.
Officials further revealed that this was not Waqas’s first attempt at such a scheme. In January 2024, he had similarly arranged for 17 men to travel to Japan using counterfeit documents and fabricated invitations from a Japanese football club named Boavista FC. None of those men ever returned, raising suspicions that they may have disappeared into underground networks or undocumented labor markets.
The case underscores the growing ingenuity of human traffickers who exploit sports and other high-profile domains to facilitate illegal migration. It also highlights the urgent need for stricter document verification processes, greater coordination between sports bodies and immigration authorities, and enhanced vigilance at Pakistani airports to curb such fraudulent attempts in the future.
