Big embarrassment for Pakistan: Fake Pakistan football team exposed, deported from Japan

In a major embarrassment for Pakistan, a fake football team sent to Japan was caught and deported after authorities exposed the fraud, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said on Wednesday.

 

 

22 men flew from Sialkot International Airport Pakistan, but when they reached Japan, authorities discovered the papers were fake and deported them. The FIA spokesperson said the documents falsely claimed that football matches were scheduled in Japan.

 

 

The FIA said a human trafficking gang made a fake “22-member football team” to send people abroad illegally. The racket was run by Malik Waqas, who was arrested on September 15. He started a bogus club named 'Golden Football Trial’ and took about Rs 4 million from each person, making them pose as football players, according to Geo News.

 

 

 

To make the fraud look real, he even arranged forged documents, including a fake Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) registration letter and a fake clearance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The men were trained to act like footballers, but the Japanese authorities quickly detected the fraud.

 

 

During questioning, Waqas admitted that this was not his first attempt. Earlier in January 2024, he had managed to send 17 people to Japan through the same scheme.

 

 

The incident has embarrassed Pakistan internationally, exposing both the human trafficking racket and the loopholes in its document system.