Seven suspected people smugglers held after Libya incident

FIA raids in Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin and Gujranwala yielded arrests

LAHORE: The Federal Investigations Agency’s (FIA) Gujranwala wing on Sunday arrested four suspected human smugglers involved in trafficking the Pakistanis who drowned in the Libya boat capsize.

The suspects were arrested during separate raids in Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin and Gujranwala, and were identified as Nisar Ahmad, Safdar, Kamran and Aslam. The agency has said that it is investigating the suspects.



At least 90 victims, most of them Pakistanis, died in an incident of boat capsizing near the shores of Libya. The victims were trying to enter Italy illegally. A Pakistani family of four members, including two children, were also among the victims.



Last year in November, at least 15 victims who were trying to enter Europe illegally were also gunned down by militants in Balochistan.

The militants had claimed that they were working on projects run by the Frontier Works Organisation. Most of the victims in that incident were from Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin and Gujranwala.