ISLAMABAD: A Central Asian woman wanted by Interpol for alleged human trafficking has been arrested in the federal capital.

Abiyva Solmaz, a national of Azerbaijan, was allegedly involved in human trafficking and drug smuggling/peddling, the police said.

She is one of the five women from the Central Asian countries, including Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, who were allegedly involved in human smuggling, operating prostitution dens and drug peddling, the police added.

The suspect was arrested near a five-star hotel in F-5. After receiving complaints, Secretariat police station SHO Shabbir Tanoli mounted surveillance in F-5 and during patrolling the police spotted the woman acting suspiciously.

The police then intercepted the suspect and recovered over one kg narcotics from her.

The details, including the name and citizenship, the woman furnished to the police were later found fake, a police officer said. Later, when the details were checked with the native country of the suspect it transpired that the woman was wanted by the police of her native country.

A red warrant of the woman was also issued by the Interpol Secretariat General, Lyon, France, early this year on the request of Interpol Baku, Azerbaijan, on the charge of human trafficking, the officer stated.

The Interpol notification stated: “Interpol Baku has informed that as per initiator of search … lives in Pakistan using phone … at the above mentioned address.”

In 2014, the suspect along with another woman from her country was booked by the Margalla police in response to a complaint lodged by a woman from Uzbekistan, according to the officer. The two Azeri women had brought the Uzbek woman to Islamabad through human trafficking and used her for prostitution.

But no action was taken against the two Azeri women, the officer added.

He said the two suspects along with two of their accomplices – one from Uzbekistan and another from Tajikistan – were involved in sex trade and drug peddling in the capital.

Another Azeri woman - Zarifa Babayev - was arrested along with her brother Mirdamat Babayev in the capital in 2010.

The two suspects were wanted by Interpol and their red warrants were also issued but within a few days the suspects were released on bail after which their whereabouts remained unknown.

About 12 years ago, the Margalla police investigated the unclaimed body of an Uzbek girl lying in the mortuary of a state-run-hospital for months.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2018