In a surprising turn of events at Tokyo’s airport, a scheme to illegally transport 22 Pakistani nationals into Japan was thwarted. The individuals were posing as a football team. Japanese immigration officials quickly recognized the fraudulent nature of their claims. The deception was exposed during interrogation when the forged documents were examined, and the group was promptly deported. The investigation revealed a human trafficking operation based in Pakistan, with the alleged mastermind now in custody.
The individuals arrived in Japan dressed in football kits, claiming to be connected to the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF). They also presented counterfeit ‘No Objection Certificates’ (NOCs), which appeared to be issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The team claimed to represent a non-existent club known as ‘Golden Football Trial,’ organized by Malik Waqas, a resident of Pasrur near Sialkot. Their supposed objective was to participate in a football tournament in Japan. However, this was a carefully planned fraud.
Malik Waqas is accused of charging each person 4 million Pakistani Rupees for the journey. This was not his first attempt; he had previously sent 17 people to Japan in January 2024 using forged documents and counterfeit invitations from a Japanese club called ‘Bovista FC.’ This time, their scheme was detected due to the vigilance of the Japanese authorities.
Utilizing fraudulent documents, the fake team departed from Sialkot airport. Upon the exposure of the scam, the 22 individuals were returned to Pakistan, where they were subsequently arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The FIA has labeled this as a major human trafficking case. Investigations have indicated that Waqas was apprehended by the FIA’s Composite Circle on September 15, and several cases have been filed against him. The investigation revealed a significant human trafficking network that utilized the pretext of fake sporting events.