Fake Pakistan football team reaches Japan, arrested and deported as visa scam triggers security red flags

How the ‘football team’ guise worked

As per a senior FIA official, the alleged scheme involved the arrangement of 15-day Japan visit visas for 17 individuals, through an invitation letter, apparently sent by the Boavista Football Club. Investigators said that the visa file was padded with a forged Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) registration letter and a fake No-Objection certificate from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This gave the visitors the appearance of an officially sanctioned touring party. This group is believed to have flown to Japan on January 1, 2024, and has not returned, which led the officials to believe that it was an alleged migration attempt.

The FIA believes that the alleged charge around ₹4 - ₹4.5 million per person for this operation. The incident underscores the lucrative black market that is exploiting athlete and culture exchange visas. The investigators have revealed that the method functioned under the veil of legitimacy lent by familiar football branding and federation paperwork. The fact that these elements lower scrutiny at the application and arrival stages was properly exploited in this operation.

The officials further added that Waqas Ali had also been nominated earlier in a June, 2025 case with ties to a separate fabricated tour involving a 22-member ‘football team’ allegedly sent to Japan. In that instance, the Japanese immigration authorities deported the group at the airport, triggering an FIA inquiry. The latest arrest follows those proceedings and could lead to further arrests as the agency is tracking money flows and testing the authority of letters, stamps, and registrations used across the files.

The case highlights the rising pattern of illegal immigration repackaged as sport. The investigators have said that forged letters, counterfeit ministry clearances, and club invites are gradually increasing as a mask for organised illegal movement of people. The agency is reportedly coordinating with the relevant bodies to plug such loopholes and has urged applicants and families to verify the credentials of sports tours before paying large sums.

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