Gang of human traffickers busted

Published December 20, 2006

ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: The FIA has arrested the member of a gang of human traffickers, sources said. They said that the gang used to send people to European countries via Guinea. Involvement of a senior official of the Ethiopian Airlines is being investigated for conniving with the gang and depriving intending immigrants of their one way air fare.

Recently, 40 illegal Pakistani immigrants sent by the gang were deported from Spain. On their return the FIA interrogated them and busted the gang.

Zahid Mehmood had been arrested, while Mohammad Sher Malik, Shahid Mehmood and Malik Faisal Raool Awan managed to flee the country. The FIA had issued ‘Blue Notice’ against them through Interpol.

The Blue Notice is issued prior to the ‘Red Notice’ against wanted people requesting the Interpol to keep a watch on their activities, whereas through Red Notice their arrest is requested.

Every intending immigrant had been charged Rs650,000, the sources said, adding that the gang would ask the people to buy a Pakistan-Guinea return ticket of the Ethiopian Airline and were promised that the one way fare would later be reimbursed to their families.

The intending immigrants were flown to Conakry where Faisal prepared their forged documents for entering into Spain. He collected the Conakry-Karachi tickets and returned them to Zahid who would reimburse them in Karachi.

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