GUJRAT: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) claims to have arrested 17 human traffickers, including proclaimed offenders, during a crackdown against illegal human trafficking networks in the Gujranwala region.

A spokesman for FIA said the arrested suspects were involved in looting their clients on the pretext of sending them abroad to countries like Saudi Arabia, Italy, Spain, Iraq, Dubai, Türkiye, Poland and Cambodia.

Suspects Javed Iqbal and Qaser Mahmood of Gujrat had received a sum of Rs3.5 million for sending a citizen to Spain.

Muhammad Shareef and Yaseen Ali of Sialkot had received Rs1 million and Rs250,000, respectively, for sending their clients to Poland and Dubai.

The spokesman said the arrested human traffickers were involved in an overall financial scam of Rs23.4 million as the Gujranwala circle arrested 10 human traffickers, Gujrat five and Sialkot circle two.

The FIA has registered different cases against these suspects and further investigation is underway.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2026