Islamabad–Lahore police and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) teams have arrested the central suspect of a large-scale fraud network that cheated thousands of people by promising overseas jobs and visas. Preliminary investigations indicate that the scam involves approximately Rs25 crore. The accused is reportedly the husband of a well-known stage actress.
The FIA’s Human Trafficking Unit registered the case against a company operating under the name Times Immigration, which allegedly lured victims with promises of employment in Gulf countries. The suspect, who used the alias Junaid Butt, was later identified as M Jahanzeb.
Sources said the operation was carried out jointly by FIA teams in Islamabad and Lahore under the leadership of Inspector Abdullah Kayani. The arrest was met with strong resistance from eight private guards, prompting the assistance of local police.
The suspect maintained offices in Islamabad’s G-11 sector and Lahore’s Liberty area but frequently shifted locations to evade authorities. During the raids, multiple bank accounts and financial transactions linked to the fraud were uncovered, including some accounts registered under the suspect’s wife, the noted stage actress.
According to the FIA, hundreds of victims nationwide were defrauded, paying money under the pretext of jobs with reputed companies in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
After his arrest in Lahore, the suspect was transferred to Islamabad, where he was produced before the District and Sessions Court. The court, presided over by Judicial Magistrate Ahmed Shehzad Gondal, granted the FIA a three-day physical remand. FIA officials had requested a 14-day remand to continue investigations.
The FIR states that the suspect deceived thousands of people under the guise of overseas recruitment, and investigations continue as authorities look to identify additional victims and assets linked to the scam.