Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) teams conducted a series of targeted raids across major cities today, arresting 12 individuals accused of operating a sophisticated passport forgery and bribery syndicate. The operation, centered largely in Islamabad and Lahore, marks a sharp escalation in the government’s attempts to clear the massive backlog of travel documents currently stalling thousands of applicants.
The suspects, who include both mid-level passport office employees and private touts, were allegedly charging applicants between 50,000 and 150,000 rupees to bypass the standard processing queue. Those paying the premium were promised “urgent” delivery within 48 hours — a timeline that has become physically impossible under current system constraints.
“We had reports of a coordinated network inside and outside the regional offices,” said a senior FIA official involved in the operation. “They weren’t just taking money; they were manipulating digital entry logs to prioritize their clients over citizens who had been waiting for months.”
The crackdown follows weeks of mounting public frustration. Since early 2024, the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports has struggled with severe shortages of lamination paper and printing ribbons, leading to wait times that frequently exceed three months. This scarcity created a lucrative gap for the syndicate to exploit.
Evidence seized during the raids includes dozens of forged application forms, internal tracking system passwords, and ledgers detailing payments from hundreds of desperate travelers. Investigators are now reviewing the digital footprints of the arrested staff to determine if senior management was aware of the bypass protocols.
For the average applicant, the arrests bring a glimmer of hope but little immediate relief. The technical bottlenecks at the printing facility remain, and officials have yet to provide a firm date for when standard processing times will return to normal.
The FIA has confirmed that the investigation is ongoing, with more arrests likely as they trace the financial trails of the ringleaders. For now, the passport offices remain under heavy surveillance, as the agency attempts to regain control over a system that has been compromised for months.
