Three more human traffickers arrested as crackdown continues

LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested three more human traffickers during the ongoing countrywide crackdown linked with the migrant boat tragedy off the coast of Greece, ARY News reported on Saturday.

According to details, FIA’s Anti-Human Trafficking Circle Gujarat arrested three human traffickers – identified as Arshadullah, Mubashir Nazir and Umar Hayat – from Mandi Bahauddin and Malakwal.

In a statement, the FIA spokesperson said the suspects were allegedly involved in sending Pakistanis to Europe illegally. “They have also received huge millions of Rupees to send the citizens to Europe,” the spokesman added.

The raiding teams also recovered several videos from the cellphones of arrested suspects, wherein migrants can be seen crossing the border on boat.

The spokesperson said the suspects have uploaded the videos on multiple social media platforms ‘in a bid to attract citizens for travelling to Europe illegally’.

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

“At least 350 Pakistanis were on board”

Earlier, 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.

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.