The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Anti-Human Trafficking Circle Gujrat, in a crackdown that followed the tragic incident of boat sinking in the Mediterranean off the coast of Greece a few weeks ago, on Tuesday arrested three human smugglers who were allegedly involved in the incident, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The smugglers namely Nasar Iqbal, Razzaq and Tariq Mehmood were arrested in raids in Kharian and Phalia conducted on the information provided by relatives of the deceased people.
According to the FIA officials, the suspects minted millions of rupees on the pretext of sending people to the European countries
The initial interrogation revealed that those taken into custody would first send people to Libya and then to Greece on boats, they disclosed.
The officials informed that so far Anti-Human Trafficking Circle Gujrat had registered 87 cases and arrested 19 human smugglers in connection with the incident.
They explained that FIA teams, led by Deputy Director Tariq Masood, were conducting raids in different parts of Gujrat.
More than 300 Pakistani nationals were killed when an overcrowded fishing trawler capsized off the coast of Greece on June 19, 2023.
Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani disclosed the numbers in a statement Sunday, sending condolences to grieving families of the dead.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with you, and we pray that the departed souls find eternal peace,” Sanjrani said. “This devastating incident underscores the urgent need to address and condemn the abhorrent act of illegal human trafficking.”
Pakistan is in the midst of its worst economic crisis in decades as growth has stalled and inflation has soared in the South Asian country of 220 million over the past year.
The country has struggled to import essential food products, leading to deadly stampedes at distribution centers.
Reporter: Tayyab Saif