FIA busts six-member human smuggling gang

Report says accused ran the network with the help of two sons residing in Libya, Italy

ISLAMABAD:

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has unearthed a six-member human smuggling network and arrested gang leader from Gujrat, according to the investigation report into the deaths of Pakistani nationals in a migrant boat in February this year.

According to the report, Saeed alias Sunyara was running the human-smuggling network with the help of his two sons, one residing in Italy and the other in Libya and four others, from his hometown of Gujrat.

The arrest has been made by the FIA Gujrat Circle after investigation based on the information received from the family members of the victims of the boat accident off the Libyan coast, while en route to Italy four months ago.

These Pakistanis were among 67 people, who died, when a migrant boat sank in the Libyan waters near Benghazi on February 26, while they headed towards Italy. Initial reports put the Pakistani death toll to three, but more bodies were recovered later.

Incidentally, it was the same night when a wooden sailboat sank off the coast of Italy’s southern Calabria region, claiming the lives of 67 migrants, including two Pakistanis. The death toll of the Pakistanis later rose to 28.

The FIA Gujrat Circle report, presented to their superiors, said that 15 cases were lodged against different human-smugglers, adding that the four teams were constituted to contact the affected families to identify the local agents who booked those people.

“FIA busted a gang consisting of indigenous and foreign based Pakistani human smugglers & traffickers involved in the said incident. They operate in connivance with their counterparts who reside in Libya & Italy,” said the report.

It identified the gang leader as Muhammad Saeed alias Saeed Sunyara; Afaq, now residing in Italy; Hamza Sunyara, now residing in Libya; Bilal Sunyara, now residing in Libya; Kashif Sunyara, now residing in Libya and Farhan Ali, now residing in Libya.

“Main & Notorious Human Smuggler/ Trafficker Muhammad Saeed @ [alias] Saeed Sunyara S/o Safdar Hussain R/o Gujrat of the said gang, nominated in 12 FIRS [first information Reports] was arrested & now he is in judicial custody,” the report said.

“Human Smugglers/Trafficker Muhammad Saeed @ [alias] Saeed Sunyara based in Pakistan was involved in this heinous crime in connivance with his 2 sons Hamza & Bilal [based in Libya] and Afaq S/o Safdar Iqbal [based in Italy],” the report added.

The report further said that international cooperation has been sought, including assistance from the Italian authorities against the human traffickers residing in Italy, while the process for issuance of international red warrants was being initiated.

The FIA is also initiating the money laundering proceedings against these accused persons, the report said. The FIA has also approached the relevant authorities to seize the bank accounts and properties of the accused involved in human trafficking cases.

Overall, the FIA Gujarat has arrested 10 accused involved in the cases of human smuggling, among them four are on bail, while the courts had declared the remaining six as the proclaimed offenders. Charge-sheets in five cases have been presented in courts.