Greece boat tragedy: Number of missing Pakistanis increases

GUJRANWALA: The number of missing Pakistanis from the Gujranwala region has risen to 101 in the Greece boat tragedy, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) spokesperson confirmed that the number of missing persons from the Gujranwala region has risen to 101 in the Greece boat tragedy.

The spokesperson detailed, “Amongst Pakistanis, 47 residents of Gujrat went missing in the boat disaster, 11 from Sialkot and 5 from Mandi Bahauddin. It added that DNA samples are being collected from families of the missing persons for identification purposes.

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

It said that 30 DNA samples were collected from 40 families of Gujranwala and Sialkot, as well 30 families of Gujrat.

The agency arrested two suspected persons and lodged three cases. Additionally, four cases were lodged in Gujrat and four arrests were made.

The Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) set up a desk in Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) to collect the DNA samples of the family members of missing persons in the Greece boat tragedy.

READ: Greece boat disaster: 800 were on board, says police probe report

The process of collecting DNA samples of the missing persons is underway where samples are being collected from the family members.

The FIA stated that DNA samples of the family members will help identify the missing persons. DNA samples from 25 families have been collected so far.

Yesterday, DG FIA Mohsin Hassan Butt issued directives to further intensify crackdowns against human traffickers after the Greece boat tragedy in which dozens of Pakistanis were killed and missing.