LAHORE, Sept 22: Shafqatullah Butt, second on the Iranian list of most-wanted human traffickers operating from Pakistan, has reportedly been arrested from Daska (Sialkot) by the Federal Investigation Agency.

The Iranian government got the names of six traffickers after interrogating those Pakistanis who were caught travelling against fake passports in a bid to enter Europe via Iran, Turkey and Greece.

Sources said the Iranian embassy had passed on the names to the Interior Ministry some three months back, which directed the FIA to investigate the matter and make all-out efforts to apprehend the ‘wanted men’.

Most of the accused on the Iranian list are said to be from the Punjab. Iran, it may be added, deported over 150 Pakistanis during the last couple of weeks.

The FIA constituted a team under the supervision of the deputy director (passport cell) which, after a “thorough investigation” of two months, got a clue about the network of Shafqatullah who was later arrested from his house in Daska, Sialkot district.

During investigation, Shafqatullah Butt disclosed the name and whereabouts of another person involved in the human smuggling racket. He also disclosed the name of 13 people whom he had provided a safe passage to Turkey and Greece via Iran on fake travel documents from whom he ‘earned’ over Rs4 million.

When contacted, assistant director (passport cell) Arif Bokhari said that two cases had been registered against the accused under FIR No 186/2003 and 360/2003.

Terming his arrest a success, Bokhari hoped that FIA might net some other traffickers after further interrogation of Mr Butt.

Meanwhile, a FIA team has gone to Kharian to arrest the man identified by the accused.

The FIA officials say that human smugglers have been more active since 9/11 to send people abroad because of certain Visa curbs.