The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has exposed a human smuggling network involved in sending citizens to Europe through illegal sea routes, detaining five passengers at Karachi airport.
According to an FIA spokesperson, the passengers arrived from Mauritania and were identified as Samiullah, Daud Iqbal, Murtaza Khan, Shah Wali, and Arshad, hailing from Hafizabad, Gujranwala, and Swat.
The agents had allegedly demanded between Rs2.5 million and Rs3.5 million from each passenger to facilitate their illegal journey to Europe.
The initial investigation revealed that the passengers had travelled through Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar before reaching Mauritania.
Upon arrival in Mauritania, the agents attempted to send them to Europe via sea, but the passengers refused to undertake the risky journey and returned to Pakistan.
The agents, reportedly from various parts of Punjab, are being traced as FIA continues its probe.
The detained passengers have been handed over to the Karachi Anti-Human Trafficking Circle for further investigation.
FIA Karachi Zone Director said that strict scrutiny of travel documents is underway, and action against human smuggling networks and their facilitators continues without discrimination.
Last week, a boat tragedy off the coast of Libya claimed the lives of 16 Pakistani nationals, with 37 survivors. The boat, carrying 65 people, capsized in the Mediterranean Sea, prompting an immediate response from the Pakistani Embassy in Tripoli to provide assistance and support to the survivors.
Additionally, the Foreign Office (FO) confirmed the identities of 13 Pakistanis who were among the victims of a separate boat tragedy that occurred last month in the waters between Mauritania and Morocco.
On January 16, the FO reported that the boat, which was carrying 80 passengers, capsized near Morocco, with over 40 Pakistanis among those feared dead.
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