GUJRAT: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Gujranwala Zone, has confiscated assets worth around Rs480 million of fugitive human traffickers involved in recent shipwrecks wherein dozens of Pakistanis lost their lives. The assets also include the seizure of bank accounts of Rs50m.

A senior FIA official said the agency had also got issued red notices of 26 human traffickers who had fled abroad and running such networks from there.

Moreover, he said, the Gujranwala Zone had arrested 216 human traffickers and their agents during the last two months across the region. He said 16 proclaimed offenders including six on FIA Red Book, had also been arrested in the ongoing crackdown against human smugglers.

He said 16 human traffickers were arrested in connection with Dec 2024 Greece boat capsize whereas seven traffickers involved in recent Mauritania-Morocco boat tragedy were also apprehended. Seven suspects of June 2023 Greece boat tragedy were also among those arrested in last two months.

Abdul Qadir Qamar, Gujranwala Zone Director, said the crackdown against illegal human trafficking networks would continue. He said scrutiny and monitoring at country’s all airports had been enhanced to curb the menace.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2025