Morocco boat tragedy: FIA arrests three "human traffickers"

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested three suspects, including an alleged human trafficker implicated in the recent Morocco boat tragedy, in a crackdown on human smuggling operations, ARY News reported.

The accused, identified as Waqas Ashraf, Rana Muhammad Farhan, and Muhammad Adil, were taken into custody by the FIA’s Gujranwala chapter. Waqas Ashraf, in particular, has been linked to the Morocco boat accident and was arrested in Sambrial.

According to the FIA spokesperson, the accused attempted to smuggle a citizen to Spain via Morocco, with the individual first being sent to Mauritania. The alleged traffickers received over Rs 5.3 million from the victim Amir Ali’s family for the smuggling operation.

Moroccan authorities rescued Aamir Ali, who was injured in a boat accident and his name is included in the list issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a separate incident, two other accused were arrested in Daska and Kamonki for attempting to smuggle another individual to Oman for over Rs 3 million.

Earlier on January 20, the Pakistani survivors of the Morocco boat tragedy have made shocking revelations about the incident in their preliminary statement, ARY News reported, citing sources.

According to sources, a four-member Pakistani investigative committee is currently in Morocco to probe the tragedy which reportedly claimed the lives of 44 Pakistani nationals.

The committee recorded the statements of the Pakistani nationals who survived the Morocco boat tragedy, sources said.

In their statement, the Pakistani nationals termed the incident a ‘mass killing,’ claiming that the human traffickers stopped the journey in open waters and demanded ransoms from those onboard.

According to survivors, as many as 21 Pakistani nationals were allowed to leave in the boat after they paid the ransom to the human traffickers.

The Pakistani nationals alleged that most of the victims lost their lives due to severe cold and torture while the boat also lacked sufficient stocks of food supplies and drinking water.