Victims from Gilgit-Baltistan were held hostage near the Vietnamese border and forced to participate in illegal online programs.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Islamabad zone has launched a crackdown against individuals accused of holding Pakistani citizens from Gilgit-Baltistan in Cambodia hostage and forcing them into bonded labor.
According to the FIA, Composite Circle Gilgit arrested two suspects, Adnan Aslam and Inamullah, who were allegedly involved in luring citizens abroad through fake job offers and entrapping them in illegal online schemes. Aslam was arrested in Hunza, while Inamullah attempted to flee to China but was deported and detained.
The FIA said investigators had contacted the victims and their families to help identify the suspects. The arrested individuals and their accomplices allegedly detained Pakistani citizens in a building near the Vietnamese border, where they were forced to work online scams. The victims reportedly paid between $2,000 and $5,300 in ransom to secure their release.
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The agency said the suspects conducted online interviews to deceive victims with job promises, sending them to Cambodia from Lahore airport. Upon arrival, their passports were confiscated and they were subjected to forced labor, while agents associated with the network demanded large sums of money in ransom from their families.
A 12-day remand has been obtained for the arrested suspects and further investigations are underway. The FIA has also formed special teams to track down and arrest other members of the trafficking network, saying all available resources are being used to pursue the case.
