GUJRAT:/TOBA TEK SINGH: The Federal Investigation Agency FIA’s crackdown against human trafficking continued as four human smugglers were arrested during the raids in Sialkot and Gujrat districts.

The arrested suspects also include a proclaimed offender from Gujrat who was wanted in the June 2023 boat capsize tragedy off the Libyan Coast.

A spokesman for FIA said suspect namely Muhammad Nawaz s/o Muhammad Riaz r/o Chicheryali Tehsil Pasrur of Sialkot had been arrested in case number 1142/24 dated 28-12-2024 u/s 17,22 EO1979,3/6 PSMA 2018 by a raiding team of FIA Crime circle Gujranwala.

The suspect extorted Rs1 million for sending complainant’s brother Shoaib to Cambodia for employment.

Similarly, he said another suspect Shahid Amin s/o Muhammad Tufail r/o kot Bhutta Sialkot was arrested in case number 1141/24 dated 28-12-2024 u/s 17,22 EO1979 of FIA/CC Gujranwala.

The accused, he said, had extorted a sum of Rs1.7m for sending complainant’s son Alyan to Italy for employment.

Meanwhile, the FIA Gujrat circle arrested a suspected human trafficker involved in Greek boat incident of 2023.

The arrested suspect Shehzad Yousaf alias Chacha Yousaf of Topa Usman, Tehsil Kharia of Gujrat district, had been wanted in FIR No. 259/23 under sections 22(b) EO 1979 read with 3/6 PSMA 2018 of FIA CC Gujrat.

An FIA spokesman said suspect Shehzad Yousaf in collaboration with his accomplices, was actively involved in the heinous crime of migrant smuggling.

They had extorted a sum of Rs2.3m from the family of the deportee Saleem Bashir on the pretext of sending him to Italy for securing an employment.

Similarly, he said a human smuggler namely Mirza Sikander s/o Zaman r/o Goriyaan Gujrat, has been arrested in case No. 216/23 & 231/23 u/s 22(b) EO 1979, 3/6PSMA 2018.

The accused had extorted the amount of Rs5m from the complainants for sending their sons to Europe on an employment visa and settling them there.

FIA Gujranwala Zone have started investigation from the arrested suspects.

Meanwhile, a notorious human smuggler involved in illegally sending citizens to Europe by sea, had been arrested by the team of FIA Faisalabad zone on Sunday.

A spokesperson for FIA said Ghulam Dastgir alias Kamran Libyawala and his accomplice an already under-arrest accused Abdul Rahman were extorting money for sending citizens by sea from Libya to Europe.

He added that both accused had collected Rs27.3m from seven persons for sending them to Europe. He said raids are being conducted to arrest his other accomplices.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2024