Libya boat tragedy: FIA arrests six, including key human trafficker
- By Web Desk -
- Jan 03, 2025
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested six suspects including a highly sought-after human trafficker, in connection with the Libya boat tragedy.
According to an FIA spokesperson, the suspects were apprehended during operations in various areas of Gujranwala and Gujrat.
Among the arrested is Khurram Shehzad, identified as a key operative for international agents based in Libya. The FIA revealed that the accused charged a family Rs1mln to send a minor child to Europe via a boat.
During the raid in Gujrat, authorities recovered several passports from the suspect, further incriminating him in human trafficking activities.
Earlier, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Gujranwala zone arrested a notorious human trafficker wanted in connection with the Libya boat tragedy.
As per details, the accused identified as Yasir Mehmood was on the Red Book’s most-wanted list and had over five cases registered against him in Composite Circle Gujrat in 2023.
Read More: Greece boat disaster: FIA arrests ringleader of human trafficking
Mehmood allegedly extorted millions of rupees from victims, promising to smuggle them to Europe. He would illegally transport people to Libya via Egypt and Dubai, where they were kept in inhumane conditions in safe houses.
FIA used modern technology to apprehend Mahmood in Gujrat after multiple raids. An investigation has been initiated, and efforts are underway to arrest other accomplices.
There have been two notable incidents of boats drowning off the coast of Libya in the Mediterranean Sea this year in which several Pakistanis had lost their lives. The first incident took place in February and the other in April.
The then-Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities concerned to investigate the human trafficking that led to the tragic incident of a migrant shipwreck near Greece with several Pakistani nationals onboard.
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.