Two human traffickers, including Greece boat tragedy suspect, arrested

FIA revealed the suspects extorted millions from victims with false promises of travel and employment abroad.

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The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Gujranwala has arrested two individuals, including a man suspected of involvement in the Greece boat tragedy, as part of its ongoing crackdown against human trafficking networks.

According to the FIA, the arrested individuals have been identified as Ansar Mehmood and Muhammad Owais.

Mehmood was apprehended in Narowal, while Owais was taken into custody in Gujranwala. Authorities confirmed that Mehmood was directly linked to the Greece boat incident, which resulted in the loss of several lives.

The FIA stated that the suspects were part of an organised human trafficking gang that had already seen several of its members arrested. Investigators revealed that Mehmood and his accomplices had extorted Rs 4.5 million from a victim, Ahsan Ali, promising to facilitate his journey to Europe.

The victim was reportedly held in safe houses in Libya before being forced onto a boat bound for Greece. Ali, a resident of Jalalpur Jattan, tragically lost his life in the shipwreck.

Meanwhile, suspect Muhammad Owais was involved in defrauding a complainant by falsely promising employment in Canada.

According to the FIA, Owais extracted a total of Rs 5.1 million from the victim but failed to fulfill his commitment. After failing to send the complainant abroad, Owais went into hiding before being tracked down and arrested.

The FIA has vowed to continue its efforts against human trafficking rings operating in Pakistan, ensuring that those involved in such illegal activities are brought to justice.