Greece shipwreck: Crackdown continues as five more human traffickers arrested

GUJRANWALA: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has claimed to have arrested five more human traffickers during the ongoing countrywide crackdown linked with the migrant boat tragedy off the coast of Greece, ARY News reported on Friday. 

In a statement, the FIA stated that it has arrested three human traffickers from Gujranwala – who according to the agency took millions from the victims to send them to Libya and Turkiye.

According to the FIA, one of the suspects – identified as Ali Akbar – took Rs0.2 million from youths to send them to Turkiye. Later, another suspect Saleem took Rs0.7 million to transport the youths from Libya to Italy.

“One of the accused was involved in human trafficking along with his father-in-law”, the agency stated, adding that the suspects were arrested on the complaints of the family members of the victims.

Meanwhile, the investigation agency said it also arrested two more traffickers from Johal – a village near Faisalabad. The agency recovered seven Pakistani passports and 10 fake visas from the possession of the accused.

A case has been registered against the suspects under nine provisions of the Foreign Regulation Act and the Passport Act. “The suspects – Saghir and Waqas – used to take huge amounts of money for issuance of visas”, it added.

FIA Additional Director Qaiser Bashir Makhdoom stated that the crackdown against the human traffickers was underway, adding that the suspects were hiding in different areas following the boat accident.

READ: Greece boat tragedy: Compilation of ‘human traffickers, agents data’ urged

“At least 350 Pakistanis were on board”

Earlier in the day, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said there were at least 350 Pakistani victims on an overloaded boat that capsized and sank in open seas off Greece last week.

He said 82 bodies of those aboard the boat have so far been recovered and their identification process is underway with the help of the forensic and NADRA data.

Rana Sanaullah said that special desks have been established to contact the affected families so far 281 families have contacted these desks.

He said 193 DNA samples have so far been collected to complete the identification process. He further said that a high-level inquiry committee has been constituted which will suggest different recommendations including amendments in the legislation to ensure conviction of the human traffickers.

Last week, an Italy-bound fishing trawler reportedly carrying at least 800 people — including hundreds of Pakistanis — capsized off Greece. Only 104 people are known to have survived and the chance of finding more survivors was seen as virtually nil.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed authorities concerned to hold an inquiry into the human trafficking that led to the tragic incident of migrants shipwreck near Greece with several Pakistani nationals onboard.

In a statement, the premier directed concerned authorities for an immediate crackdown against agents involved in the heinous crime of human trafficking and called for bringing them to justice.