Amid an ongoing cricket-related handshake controversy with India, Pakistan has faced fresh embarrassment. On Tuesday, Japanese authorities deported a fake Pakistan football team, accusing it of being part of a human trafficking scheme.
The group of 22 individuals carried forged documents and posed as professional players from a fictitious club in Sialkot. According to officials, the bogus team was attempting to travel to Japan for a “fake tournament.”
The Human Trafficking Scheme
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) revealed that the mastermind behind the operation, Malik Waqas, registered a fake club under the name Golden Football Trial.
According to Geo News, Waqas, a known human trafficker, collected Rs 4 million per person to smuggle individuals abroad under the guise of football players.
FIA officials confirmed that the group departed from Sialkot International Airport but was deported upon arrival in Japan when authorities identified inconsistencies in their documents.
Fake Registrations and Forged Papers
A PIA spokesperson reported that the men were coached to act like professional athletes. To strengthen the disguise, Waqas provided them with:
- Fake registrations from the Pakistan Football Federation
- Counterfeit certificates from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Fraudulent paperwork claiming matches were scheduled in Japan
Japanese authorities quickly exposed the scam and deported the team, publicly shaming the group for attempting to impersonate professional players.
Arrest and Investigation
Following the deportation, Malik Waqas was arrested by the FIA. During interrogation, he admitted to previously sending 17 people to Japan in January 2024 using the same strategy.
Authorities have lodged an FIR at the Gujranwala police station and seized incriminating evidence, including counterfeit documents and forged letterheads.
The FIA stressed that human traffickers are increasingly using elaborate ruses, such as disguising migrants as athletes, to exploit loopholes in border control.
Human Trafficking Tactics Evolve
Officials noted that each participant in the sham football team paid between PKR 4 to 4.5 million (USD 13,000–15,000).
Multiple cases have already been registered against Waqas in Gujranwala, and investigators are now working to dismantle the wider trafficking network behind the fake Pakistan football team.
