Japanese authorities have uncovered a bizarre human trafficking scheme. A group of 22 people attempted to enter Japan disguised as football players from Pakistan. However, their forged documents were detected at the airport, and they were immediately deported.
According to Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the group had departed from Sialkot International Airport under the guise of players from a fake club called Golden Football Trial. The ringleader, Malik Waqas, created the bogus club, gave short training sessions to the recruits, and coached them to behave like athletes. Each person reportedly paid around 4 million rupees (USD 13,000–15,000) for the scheme.
Even fabricated match schedules were included in the documents. But Japanese authorities quickly identified fake registration certificates and forged clearance papers, forcing the group’s deportation.
The FIA confirmed that Malik Waqas has been arrested, and a case filed at Gujranwala police station. During interrogation, he admitted that in January 2024 he had used the same method to send 17 people to Japan. Investigators also seized forged documents, fake football federation letterheads, and other evidence from him.
Officials said traffickers are increasingly resorting to air travel and disguises as stricter border controls make smuggling harder. Each operation involves large sums of money, and Waqas already faces multiple cases related to human trafficking.