Greece boat tragedy's prime accused arrested in Sargodha

SARGODHA: Police has arrested the prime accused of Greece boat incident from Phularwan area of Sargodha, ARY News reported on Sunday.

It was disclosed after arrest of Yasir Bilal that the accused has been affiliated with an international network of human smuggling, police sources said.

Phularwan police arrested accused Yasir and recovered illegal arms from his possession. It was disclosed during questioning to the suspect that, he has been prime accused of the Greece boat incident.

The police after formalities handed over the accused to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The accused had received millions of rupees from the victims of the June boat tragedy and facilitated them to board on the ill-fated boat that capsized in Greece territorial waters leaving several youth dead.

He has been key accused in two FIRs of the FIA and was at large after the incident.

The law enforcement agencies searching for other accomplices of the accused.

Last year in June, 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 in the incident.

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.

He had directed concerned authorities for an immediate crackdown against agents involved in the heinous crime of human trafficking and called for bringing them to justice.