Three held for ‘role’ in Libya boat tragedy

Seven Pakistanis had drowned near Benghazi city

LAHORE:

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Gujrat chapter has arrested three suspects of an organised gang for their alleged involvement in the Libya boat accident.

The accused, Raja Raheel and Sufyan, who hail from Gujrat, were arrested from Kharian.

Meanwhile, the third accused was taken into custody from Mangwal area after being identified by the suspects who were arrested a day earlier.

Seven Pakistanis had drowned in a boat wreck near Benghazi city of Libya on Tuesday.

The investigation has started while raids are being carried out for the arrest of the remaining accused.

Before the occurrence of the tragic incident, the suspects used to receive money from the families of the victims of Libya boat accident and transfer them to their gang leader, after which they would decide on the next destination.

During the weekly briefing, the Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Thursday confirmed that seven Pakistani nationals had drowned in a boat wreck near Benghazi.

She added that the Pakistani embassy in Libya was assisting in the process of identifying the bodies.

Zahra said the bodies would be brought back to the country with the help of the local authorities and International Committee of the Red Cross.

She continued that the Pakistan embassy and foreign affairs ministry were in touch with the families of the people who had died in the boat accident.