GUJRANWALA, Jan 15: Over 1,550 cases of human smuggling and more than 1,800 inquiries are pending with Gujranwala FIA’s passport cell, it was learnt on Monday.

Sources said that the government had constituted the cell in Gujranwala in the middle of 2004, had 103 police stations in its jurisdiction in Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, Hafizabad and Mandi Bahauddin districts. They said the government had taken the measure because 80 per cent of human smuggling cases occurred in these districts.

The sources said the cell lacked since its establishment required staff and number of vehicles. They said a dozen investigation officers had 125 cases and over 200 inquiries at their disposal. As a result, 90 per cent of cases could not be submitted to the courts. They said the cell had half a dozen head constables and constables to help investigation officers in the cases.

The sources said investigation officers were not equipped with arms and had no official vehicles to conduct raids. They have to hire vehicles for conducting raids in the six districts, they said.

They said the FIA had failed to set up a lock up in Gujranwala and arrested human smugglers and agents were kept in Sadar police station, 10 kilometer from the agency office. It was also learnt that the agency had also not paid the rent of the building having its offices for the last seven months. The owner wanted the agency to pay the rent or vacate the building. The agency had also not paid telephone and electricity bills.

When contacted, additional director Hussain Asgher said that each investigation officer should be provided an official vehicle besides other facilities. He said he had recently taken charge here. He said he would take up the matter with the highups. _

POS HELD: Police have arrested 50 proclaimed offenders, 53 court absconders fugitives and seized illicit arms from their possession during a general holdup in six districts of the division.