Fake Football Team Deported from Japan After Immigration Scam Exposed

In June, Japan deported 22 Pakistani nationals who attempted to enter the country by posing as professional footballers. This helped authorities expose a human trafficking scheme that raised serious concerns over how such a group managed to clear Pakistani airport checks.

Group Posed as National Players

According to Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the men, dressed in official green football kits, claimed to be part of a team from Sialkot and carried forged documents, including registration letters from the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) and No Objection Certificates from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Japanese immigration officials intercepted the group, uncovering the scam during questioning at the airport.

The individuals had reportedly departed from Sialkot International Airport, though it remains unclear how they cleared domestic checks with the fake paperwork.

Mastermind Arrested

Investigators identified the alleged ringleader as Malik Waqas from Pasroor, Sialkot. He had established a sham football club called Golden Football Trial and charged each participant between around US$15,000 to facilitate their travel.

Waqas was arrested in Gujranwala on 15 September, with FIA officials registering multiple cases against him. “Waqas’s arrest is a major breakthrough in dismantling human trafficking networks exploiting Pakistanis under the guise of sports,” said FIA Gujranwala Director Muhammad Bin Ashraf.

Authorities revealed the men were trained to mimic professional players in order to avoid suspicion during immigration checks.

Not the First Attempt

This is not the first time such a ploy has been used. In January 2024, 17 men were reportedly sent to Japan through similar methods, obtaining 15-day visas with invitations from a Japanese club named Boavista FC. It is not clear if those individuals returned to Pakistan.

Deportation by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free

Following that, the currently investigated attempt was foiled on 15 June 2025, when Japanese authorities deported the 22-member “team” under investigation for the same scheme.

Human Trafficking Concerns

Experts note that Japan has increasingly become a target for human traffickers due to its demand for foreign workers. As traditional migration routes to Europe face stricter enforcement, smugglers are turning to new methods, including fake sports teams.

“Japan has become a new destination for illegal migration from Pakistan because of the demand for human resources there,” said Tahir Naeem Malik, a professor at the National University of Modern Languages in Islamabad.

The FIA has launched further investigations to identify Waqas’s facilitators, while rights groups continue to call for coordinated action against organized trafficking mafias that profit from such schemes.

Watch a video here:

@nuktapakistan

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has busted a shocking scam involving 22 men who tried to sneak into Japan by pretending to be professional football players. Wearing kits and carrying forged papers, they claimed links with the Pakistan Football Federation and even faked matches with a Japanese club. Their plan collapsed when Japanese immigration officers spotted inconsistencies, sending them straight back to Pakistan. Back home, FIA officials arrested the mastermind, Malik Waqas, who had set up a fake club called Golden Football Trial. Authorities say the arrests mark a major step in dismantling human trafficking networks operating in the country. Watch the video to get the whole story. #nukta #nuktapakistan #footballers #fia #japan #scam #whattowatch

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