29 most wanted smugglers, including four women, added to the list. PHOTO: FILE
RAWALPINDI: The eighth edition of the Red Book 2018 of most wanted human traffickers, who lure innocent people abroad by showing them dreams of a bright future and deprive them of their money, has been issued.
For the first time, four women have been added to the book of most wanted human traffickers.
With the addition of 29 human traffickers, including these four women, to the book compiled by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the number of such criminals evading arrest has reached 112.
According to the book, the number of absconding human traffickers hailing from Punjab is 58, Islamabad 34, Sindh 15, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa three and Balochistan two.
Pakistan lacks efforts to eliminate human trafficking
Of the four wanted women, two hail from Punjab, and one each from Islamabad and Karachi.
According to the Red Book 2017, the total number of human smugglers was 101, while only 18 could be arrested.
Of the total traffickers, 12 charged with the heinous crime of human trafficking managed to flee overseas.
These culprits include; Asim Muhammad Malik, Zubiya Rubab Malik, Shafqat Ali, Dr Sajid, Muhammad Naveed Anjum, Malik Muhammad Ahsan, Haji Sarfaraz, Mehmood Ahmed, Muhammad Abid Gujjar, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shahid Akhtar and Mian Rafique. Efforts are being made for their arrest through Interpol.
The FIA has suggested the government to place the names of the most wanted human traffickers on the Exit Control List.
Mentioned in the book, human trafficker Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, who hails from Dhamial, Rawalpindi is wanted by the FIA in case number 570/9, which was lodged on the complaint of the Austrian Embassy.
FIA officials said the ones mentioned in the red book lure innocent people abroad by showing them dreams of a better future and deprive them of their hard-earned cash.
There are different cases of human trafficking lodged against the accused. Some have one case each against them, while others have several.
The officials said the aim of issuing the red book was to obtain the help of Pakistani citizens in arresting the proclaimed offenders.
If the people inform the FIA about these culprits, they would be arrested soon, said the officials, adding that not only local but international network was also utilised for their arrests so that the absconders could be nabbed as soon as possible and the looted money returned to the citizens.
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