A travel gang allegedly involved in smuggling narcotics under the guise of arranging Umrah trips has surfaced in Karachi, leaving an entire family stranded in Saudi Arabia.
According to reports, a family of four from Karachi’s Surjani Town traveled to Saudi Arabia for Umrah on September 8. The group included 23-year-old Zahida, 26-year-old Jamil, 28-year-old Zakir, and 45-year-old Anwari. Jamil, a laborer, is the father of a 20-day-old son, while Zahida is the mother of two young daughters.
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Family members said they lost contact with the group for 10 days, until September 19, when they received a call from a foreign number. They were informed that narcotics and other prohibited items had been recovered from the family’s luggage, and that their relatives were being held by Saudi authorities.
The family alleges that their luggage, including ihram and other Umrah-related belongings, was provided by a local travel agent named Ali, who did not allow them to take their own items. Since the incident, the Umrah agent has reportedly gone into hiding.
