3 alleged human traffickers arrested in FIA crackdown

GUJRANWALA: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Gujranwala Zone has intensified its crackdown on human trafficking, arresting three alleged traffickers in coordinated operations.

The suspects have been identified as Muhammad Irfan, Muhammad Bilal, and Muhammad Shahbaz, who were apprehended from various locations in Gujranwala and Gujrat.

According to FIA officials, Muhammad Shahbaz was already on the wanted list and is accused of defrauding a citizen of over Rs 1.2 million by falsely promising employment in Greece.

Similarly, Muhammad Irfan allegedly received Rs 1.1 million from another victim in exchange for a fake job offer in Canada. The third suspect, Muhammad Bilal, is accused of swindling Rs 400,000 from a citizen under the pretense of arranging a job in Dubai.

All three suspects reportedly went into hiding after collecting large sums of money, failing to fulfill their promises of overseas employment.

The FIA has initiated formal interrogations of the arrested individuals, while raids are ongoing in various areas to apprehend other members of the trafficking network.

Earlier, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has detained nine individuals engaged in human trafficking and visa fraud, luring naive citizens with fake promises of sending them overseas for employment, ARY News reported.

FIA conducted raids in Gujranwala, Gujrat, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, and Mian Channu, where members of a well-organised network were apprehended.

According to the FIA spokesperson, six suspects from Southern Punjab were arrested for attracting victims through social media with fake job offers in New Zealand and Bahrain, removing over PKR 8.5 million through cash and banking channels.