FIA arrests 5 Pakistani nationals over working in Israel

FIA arrests 5 Pakistani nationals over working in Israel

KARACHI – The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested five Pakistani nationals for taking up jobs in Israel in violation of the Pakistan’s laws.

The South Asian country does not recognise the state of Israel and calls for an independent state of Palestine with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital city. The Pakistani passport clearly states that it is valid in all countries of the world, except Israel.

An FIA spokesperson told media that the operation was launched last month after the investigation officials detected remittances trail and found solid evidence that these individuals had been working in Israel for years.

He said the suspects stayed in Tel Aviv for up to seven years and they worked as helpers and car washers there.

He said all the arrested suspects belonged to Mirpur Khas district of Sindh province, adding that case had been registered against them. for violating Pakistan’s Passport Act 1974 and the Emigration Ordinance 1979.

The FIA has been looking for three others, who had been working in Israel. The agency said the suspects entered the Jewish state through an Israeli agent to whom they had paid Rs300,000 to Rs400,000 ($1,090 to $1,453) each.

The agent had taken them to Israel through the Jordan airport on a Schengen visa. They had returned to Karachi from Jordan via Dubai, the FIA official said, adding that the suspects used to send money to Pakistan via Western Union money transfer service.