The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) have arrested 374 Chinese nationals in a joint crackdown targeting immigration violations and illegal call centres.
According to media reports, the FIA arrested 258 Chinese nationals who were unable to produce valid documents establishing their legal status or lawful stay in Pakistan.
The NCCIA separately detained 116 Chinese nationals during an operation against illegal call centres in Islamabad.
The arrested nationals will be held at Sparco Plaza in Islamabad, which has been designated as a sub-jail.
According to reports the chief commissioner has issued a notification declaring the premises a sub-jail.
The arrests come amid increased scrutiny of foreign nationals and their activities in Pakistan.
The latest crackdown follows an earlier FIA investigation involving Chinese nationals accused of attempting to smuggle human placentas out of Pakistan.
Authorities had seized about 580 kilograms of placentas at an airport and arrested five suspects, including three Chinese nationals.
Investigators told a court that the material was allegedly being transported to Vietnam for use in anti-ageing injections.
The current arrests are part of wider enforcement efforts against foreign nationals lacking valid documentation.
The government has also intensified its nationwide crackdown on undocumented Afghan nationals and accelerated their repatriation under the Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan.
