SIALKOT, Aug 5: The ‘city of exports’ has stood second after Gujrat in human trafficking in Gujranwala division, as 414 people of Sialkot district have been deported during the first seven months of the current calendar year.

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials told this correspondent that the main reason for the rising rate of human trafficking in Sialkot was economic slowdown and people were preferring to go abroad for their `bright future’ by putting their lives at risk through agents and human smugglers.

They said as many as 733 people of Gujrat district, 414 of Sialkot district, 393 of Gujranwala and 298 of Mandi Bahauddin were deported during the first seven months of 2008.

The FIA officials said the agency would soon launch an awareness campaign for the people regarding human agents.

The agency would also launch a major crackdown on human trafficking in these districts shortly.