GUJRAT: At least two more victims of human trafficking returned from Senegal after their agents failed to send them to Spain as per the deal.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) at Sialkot airport found Khalil Ahmed and Azeem Shafique during immigration clearance of Flight FZ-337 on Tuesday.

Official sources said Khalil had arrived from Saudi Arabia. However, during the scrutiny of documents, it was found that he had departed from Faisalabad Airport to Senegal on a visit visa. During interrogation, he revealed that he had dealt with agents, Nadeem Akhtar, son Muhammad Rafique, a resident of Malkhanwala, tehsil Sambrial, and Reedy Gull, resident of Hakeemabad, Peshawar, for sending him to Spain against Rs3.5m but the agents sent him to Senegal by air. He said the agents had extorted Rs1m from him.

The passenger, Azeem Shafiq (21), told the FIA officials that he had departed from Lahore to Senegal on a visit visa. He said the agent, Ali Raza of Kharoli, district Sialkot, had promised to send him to Spain against Rs3.2m but sent him to Senegal by air after taking Rs1.6m from him. After the Moroccan boat tragedy, the agent had returned his amount.

The immigration authorities sent both men to the FIA anti-human trafficking cell Gujranwala for further action.

Earlier, around a dozen such Pakistanis had been repatriated from Senegal and Mauritania around a week ago following the tragic incident in the Atlantic Ocean between Mauritania and Morocco on Jan 15. At least 22 survivors of the Mauritania-Morocco boat tragedy have also been returned by the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the interior ministry last week.

Meanwhile, the FIA Gujranwala Zone claimed to have arrested at least two human traffickers during the crackdown on human trafficking networks across the region.

A spokesman for the FIA said the human smuggler, Ashiq Hussain, had been arrested for taking Rs2.5m from a complainant, M Iqbal, for sending his son, Anjum Iqbal, to Italy.

Similarly, Muhammad Azhar of Gujrat city has been arrested for taking Rs3.4m from the complainant for sending his brother, brother-in-law, two nephews and cousins to Greece.

Another accused wanted to FIA Karachi was arrested on his arrival at the Sialkot airport.

A passenger, Ghulam Haider of Gujranwala, arrived from Libya and presented his passport for immigration. During the immigration clearance, the officials found that he was wanted in a case registered in Karachi.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2025