FIA takes major step to nab human traffickers in foreign countries

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has decided to establish ‘link offices’ in different foreign countries in efforts to prevent human trafficking, ARY News reported on Tuesday, citing sources.

Sources told ARY News that the investigation agency has decided to establish ‘link offices’ in Turkiye, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Malaysia, Spain and Italy.

Sources quoting FIA officials claimed that the offices will be established for close coordination to prevent human trafficking. The link offices will collect information related to the gangs of human traffickers, they added.

The officers will contact concerned local authorities to prevent illegal immigration, sources claimed, adding that FIA would also reach out to Interpol to arrest human traffickers.

The FIA ramped up a crackdown against human traffickers following a Greece boat tragedy in June this year in which more than 300 Pakistanis were killed after their boat capsized.

The Italy-bound fishing trawler reportedly carrying at least 800 people, including hundreds of Pakistanis, capsized off Greece on Wednesday. Only 104 people have survived in the incident.