What began as police raid over suspected illegal liquor sales in Islamabad’s Gulberg Greens quickly turned into far bigger investigation. Inside premises, authorities found large number of foreign nationals and studios allegedly linked to fraudulent online schemes and pornographic content.
Now, 284 detainees, including Chinese, Vietnamese and Indonesian nationals, face deportation after Pakistan cancelled their visas, while investigators dig deeper into the alleged network and its local connections.
The developments followed raid on August 9 at a plaza in Gulberg Greens. What began as an investigation into suspected illegal liquor sales reportedly turned into a much larger operation after police allegedly discovered studios being used to produce pornographic content. Officials said the suspected operation had been running for more than six months.
Around 500 foreign nationals from China, Vietnam and Indonesia were reportedly present at the premises. Authorities detained 284 people, including 60 women. Some of those arrested were shifted to Adiala Jail, while the remaining detainees were kept at the premises after the building was officially declared a sub-jail.
An official notification placed the facility under the administrative control of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), with the sub-jail status to remain in effect until further orders.
FIA Director General Dr. Usman said the investigation had uncovered what he described as disturbing revelations about the activities of the suspects.
According to investigators, members of the group allegedly used fabricated identities and women’s profiles to approach Pakistani citizens through online applications. After establishing contact, they allegedly lured victims with purported investment opportunities and extracted money through fraudulent schemes. FIA says several Pakistani citizens suffered financial losses in the alleged operation.
Investigators also identified suspected Pakistani facilitators and handlers who allegedly helped the foreign nationals carry out their activities. Authorities are now examining whether some government officials or influential individuals may have assisted the network or enabled it to operate for an extended period.
Interior Ministry reportedly cancelled visas of all 284 detainees. Authorities have also issued one-time exit permits with limited validity and decided to deport the arrested foreigners. Officials said the detainees’ names would be placed on the blacklist as well as the Foreigners Control List, further restricting their ability to return to Pakistan.
Authorities have set short timeline for the deportation process, with the foreigners expected to be removed from the country within 15 days.
Despite large-scale arrests, several alleged key figures reportedly managed to escape during the raid. Law-enforcement agencies are now searching for those individuals as investigators attempt to determine their precise roles in the operation. The probe is also focusing on the financial and organisational structure behind the alleged activities.
Investigators are trying to establish who financed the studios, who managed the operation, who facilitated the presence of the foreign nationals in Pakistan and whether any powerful individuals helped the network remain active for months.
