GUJRANWALA: The Federal Investigation Agency on Sunday arrested two men involved in a recent boat tragedy off the coast of Greece that killed at least five nationals, as part of an intensified crackdown on human smuggling networks, the FIA said.
According to FIA authorities, the arrested suspects, Mohammad Aslam and Saeed Ahmed, played a role in the human smuggling operation.
The FIA said it apprehended Muhammad Aslam and Saeed Ahmed in separate operations following directives from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to target those facilitating illegal migration.
The FIA informed Aslam was part of an international human smuggling ring and was accused of orchestrating the ill-fated journey that saw Pakistani migrants taken to Libya before being put on a boat bound for Greece.
He exploited victims by promising to send them to Europe, collecting millions of rupees from them.
“Using advanced technology, Aslam was tracked and arrested in Gujranwala,” the FIA statement said, adding the second suspect was arrested in Gujrat district located in the eastern Punjab province and was accused of creating fake travel documents and charging large sums for his services.
The statement informed Aslam extorted Rs8.5 million ($30,660) from victims by promising safe passage to Europe. He, along with other members of the gang, first sent the victims to Libya and then attempted to send them to Greece by boat.
In a separate operation, the FIA arrested another human smuggler in Gujarat. The individual is involved in creating fake travel documents, using them to illegally pocket large sums of money.
The FIA said in its statement it had formed special teams to track other suspects linked to human smuggling rings.
“We will use all available resources to arrest those playing with innocent lives,” Abdul Qadir Qamar, the director of the FIA’s Gujranwala zone, was quoted as saying in the statement.
Authorities have presented 174 human smuggling cases in court this year, with four convictions reported so far. The government has also decided to launch a public awareness campaign to discourage dangerous migration attempts.
“Concrete evidence will ensure the culprits face severe punishment,” Qamar added, emphasizing the government’s commitment to preventing such tragedies.
In a statement, the Foreign Office spokesperson said, “We announce with deep sorrow that, according to the latest information shared by the Greek authorities, four Pakistanis have been identified among those killed in Saturday’s boat capsizing south of the Greek island of Crete.”