SARGODHA: A hefty sum of over Rs0.5 million was discovered in the pocket of an elderly alleged beggar, found lying unconscious on Khushab Road in Punjab's Sargodha district, as he was rescued by the Rescue 1122 team.

According to Rescue 1122, the elderly man was carrying a sum of Rs534,000. Moreover, he also had a passport on him, which showed that he had traveled to Saudi Arabia multiple times.

District Emergency Officer Mazhar Shah told Geo News: “When the rescue team arrived to assist the elderly man following an anonymous call, residents revealed that he had been begging in the same area.”

However, the man got his cash and other belongings back after he was discharged from the hospital, the rescue authorities confirmed.

In September last year, it emerged that Pakistani nationals were involved in exploiting the Umrah visas for begging purposes in Saudi Arabia.

The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development told the Senate Committee on Overseas Pakistanis that a significant number of beggars travel abroad through human trafficking channels, according to The News report.

Sharing details with the Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis, the secretary of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis told the Senate panel that 90% of beggars arrested in foreign countries were Pakistanis.

“The Iraqi and Saudi ambassadors have reported that their jails were overcrowded due to these arrests,” he told the Senate committee. “Most of the pickpockets caught inside the Masjid Al Haram in Saudi Arabia were of Pakistani origin, and they exploited the Umrah visas for begging purposes.”