Archive · 18 Sep 2025
Pakistan's Fake Football Team: Human Trafficking Scheme Uncovered
A group of 22 people from Pakistan were sent to Japan pretending to be a football team.
The plan was to send them to Japan and then they would stay.
They used fake documents like Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Pakistan Football Federation documents.
Japanese authorities found out the documents were fake and sent them back.
Pakistani law enforcement arrested Malik Waqas.
He's suspected of human trafficking and had sent other people using the same trick.
He charged each person a large amount of money.
Pakistan started a crackdown on illegal immigrants including a large number of Afghanis.
22 Pakistani nationals posing as a football team were deported from Japan.
The individuals flew to Japan from Sialkot.
Japanese authorities discovered the documents were fraudulent.
Malik Waqas was identified as the orchestrator of the scheme and was arrested.
Waqas charged each person PKR 4 million for the trip.
- Who
- 22 Pakistani nationals
- What
- Were deported from Japan after being discovered to be part of a human trafficking scheme.
- When
- September 2023 (crackdown on immigrants), January 2024 (prior scheme), September 15 (Waqas arrested).
- Where
- Japan, Sialkot (departure)
- Why
- Involved in human trafficking using fraudulent documents.
Pakistan
Japan
Issue
Pakistan
Embarrassment and human trafficking concerns.
Japan
Security and fraudulent documents
- Nationality
- Pakistani
- Deportation Location
- Japan
- Number of People Deported
- 22
- Alleged Crime
- Human Trafficking
- Suspect Arrested
- Malik Waqas
- Fee Charged per Person
- PKR 4 million
Sources
'Fake' Football Team From Pakistan Makes It To Japan, Gets Deported With Warning
Fake Pakistan Football Team For Fake Tournament Lands In Japan, Deported, Islamabad Embarrassed
'Fake' Pakistan Football Team Gets Deported From Japan With Warning; Check Details
Fake football team from Pakistan lands in Japan for fake tournament, gets deported
Pakistan faces fresh embarrassment as 'fake football team players deported from Japan'
'Fake' Pakistani football team deported from Japan
‘Fake’ Pakistan football team deported from Japan, Federal Investigation Agency busts human trafficking ring
