Facilitator of foreign human smuggler gang arrested in Punjab

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Thursday conducted an operation in Gujranwala and arrested a human trafficker involved in the abduction of Pakistani nationals in Iran, ARY News reported.

The FIA spokesperson in a statement asserted that the facilitator, named Atif Bilal, of the international human trafficker gang has been arrested from Hafizabad area of Gujranwala.

The arrested accused used to receive ransom money from the family members of the abducted Pakistani citizens and transferred it to Iran through hawala/hundi channels.

The spokesperson added that the aforementioned gang was being operated from Iran.

While recounting the operations of the gang, the FIA spokesperson revealed that the gang used to deceive citizens by promising employment opportunities in Iraq.

The FIA representative further added that the citizens trapped by the said gang were abducted in Iran.

The human trafficker gang also used to make videos of torture abducted citizens to received ransom money from their families in Pakistan.

READ: FIA arrests two human smugglers from Islamabad

This year in April, the FIA officials claimed to have arrested an alleged human smuggler in Sheikhupura.

As per details, the arrested accused identified as Waris Ali was involved in human smuggling by tricking innocent people into employment in Italy against Rs 2 million.

In response to the report of the Libya and Greece boat accident, earlier the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) blacklisted 87 officers across the country from being posted in the immigration department.

According to directives issued by the FIA, officials and officers from constable to assistant director level were blacklisted to be posted in the immigration and anti-human trafficking cell across Pakistan.