KARACHI: Five suspected human smugglers were arrested in a joint raid conducted by Rangers and police on Sunday.

According to officials, the suspects belonged to an inter-provincial gang that initially helped Afghan nationals reside illegally in Hub before transporting them to Karachi.

They said the suspects were allegedly transporting two undocumented Afghan nationals, Yar Mohammed and Rasool Khan, to Karachi. A pickup allegedly used for human smuggling was also seized.

A Rangers spokesperson identified the suspects as Abdul Aziz Brohi, Mohammed Bux Dashti, Ali Hasan Brohi, Nadeem Brohi and Jameel Brohi.

The suspects were also allegedly involved in supplying arms and narcotics. They provided temporary shelter to undocumented Afghans at various hotels and homes in Hub. To avoid arrest, they used unpaved roads in Manghopir, Band Murad, Surjani, the Northern Bypass and adjoining areas, the officials said.

They added that the gang received substantial sums of money from the illegal migrants, charging Rs200,000 per family.

In addition to small vehicles, the suspects used motorcycles to transport Afghans to Karachi. They reportedly revealed that they had shifted 230 undocumented Afghans to different parts of the metropolis over the past month.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2026