FIA arrests prime suspect in Greece boat tragedy
A undated handout photo provided by the Hellenic Coast Guard shows migrants onboard a boat during a rescue operation, before their boat capsized on the open sea, off Greece, June 14, 2023. PHOTO: REUTERS
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has apprehended one of the key individuals allegedly involved in the illegal trafficking of hundreds of Pakistanis, who tragically perished in a boat capsizing incident off the coast of Greece in June this year.
The suspect, Atiq Butt, was arrested during a raid in Faisalabad. FIA Director for Faisalabad Zone, Rai Ijaz Ahmed, authorized the raid, conducted by the FIA Anti-Human Trafficking and Smuggling Wing.
Atiq Butt came under the FIA's scrutiny after Rs6.7 million were transferred to his bank accounts from various other sources. During interrogation, the accused failed to explain the origin of the transferred funds.
Read: FIA acts against agents in Greece boat tragedy
The FIA has filed a case against Atiq Butt and initiated its investigation. The agency has formed multiple teams conducting raids to apprehend other suspects and is scrutinizing suspicious banking transactions.
On June 14, an overloaded fishing boat carrying at least 350 Pakistanis capsized and sank near Greece. Despite having a capacity of 400 people, the boat was overloaded with over 700 individuals.