Overview

• Japanese authorities rejected forged paperwork and returned the group that had flown from Sialkot claiming to be a football squad.
• FIA officials identified and arrested alleged organiser Malik Waqas, with a case registered at a Gujranwala police station.
• Investigators say Waqas created a club called Golden Football Trial, coached participants to mimic players, and charged about Rs 4 million per person.
• A PIA spokesperson said the travelers carried fake Pakistan Football Federation registrations and counterfeit Ministry of Foreign Affairs documents.
• During questioning, Waqas admitted sending 17 people to Japan in January 2024 using the same method, and authorities are probing a wider smuggling network.