GUJRAT: A Gujranwala special court on Wednesday awarded 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs1.4 million each on two human traffickers involved in the Libyan boat tragedy of June 2023.

Gujranwala Special Court Central Judge Naeem Sheikh announced the conviction and sentenced Nadeem Aslam and Muhammad Aslam in the case lodged with the FIA Gujranwala circle in June 2023. Both the accused had earlier been awarded the same sentence in another similar case on October 27 last by a Gujranwala court.

According to the prosecution, the human traffickers had sent a citizen to Libya to further smuggle him to Italy through a boat in exchange for Rs2.5 million.

However, the citizen went missing in the boat that capsized off the Libyan coast in June 2023.

The names of both accused were included in the FIA’s Red Book of most-wanted human traffickers in 2023. However, the Gujranwala FIA later arrested them and their trial was conducted in the court.

The court awarded 10 years rigorous imprisonment and a Rs400,000 fine each to the convicts under the Immigration Act, whereas another 10 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs1 million each to both was announced under the Smuggling of Migrant Act.

Another co accused Muhammad Mumtaz had already been convicted in the same case as the court awarded him the same sentence.

An FIA official said that the Gujranwala FIA Assistant Director (legal) Isfhan Akram Kang pleaded the case in the court, whereas Inspector Muhammad Nadeem had conducted the investigation of the case.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2025