The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested two individuals, including a human smuggler in Gujranwala, in connection with Greece boat tragedy.
On December 14, the foreign media reported that a wooden boat carrying migrants capsized off the island of Gavdos in southern Greece, killing at least five of them.
According to FIA authorities, the arrested suspects, Mohammad Aslam and Saeed Ahmed, played a role in the human smuggling operation.
According to the FIA, Mohammad Aslam is directly involved in the Greece boat tragedy and is a member of an international human smuggling gang.
He exploited victims by promising to send them to Europe, collecting millions of rupees from them.
The suspect has reportedly swindled a total of Rs8.5 million from the victims. He, along with other members of the gang, first sent the victims to Libya and then attempted to send them to Greece by boat.
In a separate operation, the FIA arrested another human smuggler in Gujarat. The individual is involved in creating fake travel documents, using them to illegally pocket large sums of money.
Read more: Four Pakistanis died in Greece boat tragedy, confirms FO
In a statement, the Foreign Office spokesperson said, “We announce with deep sorrow that, according to the latest information shared by the Greek authorities, four Pakistanis have been identified among those killed in Saturday’s boat capsizing south of the Greek island of Crete.”
She added that “Our mission in Athens is in touch with the Greek authorities to facilitate the survivors and repatriate the bodies.”
The Embassy of Pakistan in Athens was in contact with the Hellenic Coast Guard and with the Coast Guard of Chania, which were directly dealing with the search and rescue operation.
