How to Report a Human Smuggler to the FIA in Pakistan: Up to 10 Years and Rs 10 Million Fine

Short answer: You can report a human smuggler to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) by email at complaints@fia.gov.pk, by the helpline 051-111-345-786 or 1991, or on the FIA online complaint portal. Under the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act, 2018, as amended in 2025, smuggling carries up to ten years and a fine of up to Rs 10 million.

A man offers to "send you by road" for a fee. He says there is no visa and no agent licence, only a route. People who pay often lose the money, and some lose far more. The law treats the man who sells the route as the criminal. It does not treat the person he smuggled as one under this Act.

We read the FIA overseas complaint page, the FIA anti human smuggling page and the Act as printed in the FIA's own law compendium on 12 October 2026. We did not contact the helpline.

The law names the smuggler as the offender

Section 3 of the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act, 2018 punishes anyone who intentionally engages in or attempts the smuggling of migrants with up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to Rs 10 million. The FIA compendium shows these amounts were substituted by an Act of 2025.

The Act defines smuggling as arranging, for a benefit, the illegal entry of another person into a country where they are not a national or permanent resident. A "benefit" includes money or payment in kind.

Section 9 makes every offence under the Act cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable. A Special Court (Central) tries them, and the FIA is the investigating agency under section 11.

The Act says a smuggled migrant is not prosecuted under it

Section 8 says smuggled migrants do not become criminally liable under this Act for having been the object of smuggling, and may be a witness in the case. The same section keeps other laws in force, so ask a lawyer before you give a statement.

This protection has a limit that readers should not skip. Section 8 says it is "without prejudice to the applicability of other laws". The Emigration Ordinance, 1979 punishes a person who emigrates or tries to depart except as the law allows, with up to five years or a fine. We cannot tell you how a prosecutor would treat any one person.

What we can say is that the Act's own words let a smuggled person be a witness, and that the FIA runs a section to assist victims of trafficking and smuggling. If you are unsure of your own position, get legal advice first. Our guide on free legal aid through the 1818 helpline shows one way to reach a lawyer.

Where to report to the FIA

The FIA lists complaints@fia.gov.pk and the helpline 051-111-345-786 and 1991 on its website. Overseas Pakistanis can use an overseas complaint cell with a landline, 051-9261104. The FIA also links an online complaint portal and a dedicated email for immigration complaints.

Our guide on filing an FIA complaint online walks through the portal. The FIA anti human smuggling directorate works with local Anti Human Trafficking Circles that investigate and prosecute these cases.

What to prepare before you report

Keep every trace of the offer. A complaint with a name, a phone number, a payment record and a date is much easier to act on than a story. Never delete chats, and do not confront the agent.

1. Save the messages, call records, voice notes and social media profile of the person.
2. Write a timeline: when you met, what was promised, what you paid and to whom.
3. Keep proof of payment: bank slip, wallet transfer record or a witness.
4. Note the route, the countries named and the dates.
5. Copy your CNIC and, if you have one, your passport page.
6. Report in writing, and keep the reference number you are given.

If you think a family member is already on the road, report at once. The FIA has link offices in Muscat, Tehran and Athens, according to its own page, to help with victims abroad.

Spot the offer before you pay

A genuine overseas job goes through a licensed process, a written contract and a protector stamp. An offer to move you across borders without a visa, or one that asks for cash in advance and gives no paper, matches the pattern the law describes as smuggling.

Check the job route first with the guides we have already written on job offers in Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar and on the Oman work visa process. Our checklist on avoiding offloading at the airport also shows what papers a genuine traveller carries.

Common questions

Is it a crime to be smuggled?

Under this Act, no. Section 8 says smuggled migrants are not criminally liable under it and may be witnesses. Other laws can still apply, so take advice.

What is the punishment for smuggling people abroad?

Up to ten years in prison and a fine up to Rs 10 million under section 3, as amended in 2025. Aggravated cases carry 7 to 14 years.

Can a smuggler get bail?

The Act makes every offence under it non-bailable and non-compoundable. That means a settlement with the victim cannot end the case.

Who investigates human smuggling in Pakistan?

The FIA, under section 11 of the Act, through its Anti Human Trafficking Circles. Other agencies can be authorised by Gazette notification.

Can I report from abroad?

Yes. The FIA lists an overseas complaint cell and a dedicated UAN number for overseas Pakistanis.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We read the FIA overseas complaint page, the FIA anti human trafficking and smuggling page and the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act, 2018 as printed in the FIA law compendium on 12 October 2026. The compendium copy is a compilation, not the Gazette, so check the Gazette for the latest text. We did not test any of the numbers.