GUJRAT: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) claimed to have arrested four suspects, including three alleged human traffickers and a front man of another, linked to the June 2023 Libyan boat tragedy.

As per FIA officials, the arrests have been made during a crackdown against human trafficking networks in Gujranwala and Gujrat circles.

A spokesman for FIA says that a suspect, Rab Nawaz, a resident of Nowshera Virkan,Gujranwala district, has been arrested in cases number 212/2023 and 213/2023 under sections 17/22 of EO 1979, read with 3/6 of PSMA 2018.

He says the suspect, in connivance with a co-accused, extorted Rs2.3 million each from the complainants on the pretext of sending their sons to Italy.

Later, they sent the intending emigrants to Libya and boarded them on a boat that capsised in the sea on the way to Italy, claiming their lives, along with many others.

The officials say that the suspect is a front man of Shafaqat Ali, the prime accused linked to the boat incident that occurred in 2023.

Another suspect, Hafiz Ali Raza of Panj Garyen village of Nowshera Virkan, has been arrested by the FIA’s Gujranwala circle.

The suspect allegedly extorted Rs430,000 from the complainant on the pretext of sending his son to Italy for employment. However, he neither fulfilled his commitment nor returned the amount to the complainant.

Another suspect, Fakhar Abbas of Khas Kot Bagha, Wazirabad, has been arrested by the FIA’sGujranwala circle. The suspect allegedly received Rs1.8 million from the complainant on the pretext ofsending a man to Italy for employment, but failed to do so.

The FIA’s Gujrat circle also arrested a proclaimed offender, Imtiaz Ahmed of Khonan, Kharian tehsil of Gujrat, in a case registered under section 462-J of the PPC.

The accused used a domestic electricity meter for commercial purposes, causing a loss to theexchequer.

The spokesman said that further investigation into the cases was underway.

SENTENCED: A special court on Tuesday handed down a four-month rigorous imprisonment along with a Rs90,000 fine to a man involved in human trafficking.

The special judge central, Gujranwala, announced the verdict against Ali Hassan in case number 112/25 registered under sections 18 of the Emigration Ordinance (EO) and 419 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2025