CAST:
Neil Hallett - Bonner
Susan Travers - Laura
Gary Miller - Slater
Ray Lonnen - Jackson
Salmaan Peer - Suresh
Imogen Hassall - Malia
Nik Zaran - Chaudri
Joan Newell - Mrs. Reynolds
Michael Robbins - Harry
Ron Pember - Sam
Julian Sherrier - Mr. Sen
Jeremy Anthony - 1st Pakistani

Directed by Ray Austin; Screenplay by Donald James

STORY:
Templar is deep sea angling when he makes an unusual catch: a dead man!
Bonner is illegally smuggling Pakistanis to England - but he discovered that the now dead man was not who he pretended to be. That's why Bonner had killed him.
One of the immigrants from this smuggling trip was seriously ill - so Templar tries to find the others quickly...

NOTES:
* Salmaan Peer & Imogen Hassell both appear also in Episode #84 "Flight Plan"
* Imogen Hassell also appears in Episode #36 "Sophia". She also appears in the first "The Persuaders" episode "Overture"
* Salmaan Peer also appears in Episode #113/114 "Vendetta for the Saint"
* Michael Robbins also appears in Episode #45 "The Saint Steps In" and #104 "The Double Take"
* Ray Lonnen also appears in Episode #84 "Flight Plan"
* Director Ray Austin appears as an actor in Episode #13 "The Fellow Traveller", #22 "The Rough Diamonds", #52 "The Damsel in Distress", #76 "The Helpful Pirate" and uncredited in #95 "A Double in Diamonds".
* Watch a commentary video with actor Salman Peer(zada) who played Suresh in this episode on Youtube channel "Lives in the Pictures" - 1:47h version here, 1:56h version here.
*  There's a cut here, noticeable through the disappearing shadow. (0:28)
*  Note the camera man mirroring in the side window of the car. (0:42)
*  How does Suresh know that his sister is at home? (0:45)

Leslie Charteris, 25th May 1968: <<I'm afraid I found the script of "The People Importers" by Donald James (which, I note, gives no acknowledgement to the author of the original idea) even more hollow than I expected from the last outline.
It would be hopeless to try to dissect it in detail - there just aren't any bones and precious little meat to dissect. Just a lot of routine television wind.
A pity, because there was once the basis of a good story.>> (Barer, p.153)

Johnny Goodman: <<Gary Miller was a singing star of the 1960s that I was totally besotted with. Very good looking guy with a cleft chin, a bit Kirk Douglas. Blond hair. [...] I was totally impressed by him and became determined to get him into movies. [...] And I got him a part in The People Importers as the blond villain Slater. At the same time he was appearing on the stage with Danny La Rue in Come Spy With Me. So he was working night and day.  After a week of shooting I said goodbye to him on the Friday night, and over the weekend he dropped of a heart attack. We had to finish the episode with a double with his back to the camera.>> (Simper, p.62)

AIRDATE:
UK: 22nd December 1968

GERMAN TITLE:
S.T. und der Pakistani

AVAILABLE ON:
* DVD (NTSC): AAE-70469 (2002)