ATHENS: A Pakistani youth was starved to death in Greece after being held to ransom by kidnappers for over more than months, the semi-state Athens News Agency reported on Thursday, citing police sources.
The 17-year-old had been found dead by relatives in January on a street bench in west Athens following a tip-off from the kidnappers who had helped bring him to Greece in the first place.
Police said that the teenager had been held captive from October 2010 and malnourished to force his family to make a payment of 5,500 euros ($7,200).
But even though the money was paid, the kidnappers demanded more, ANA said.
The police arrested a 24-year-old Pakistani man who allegedly conducted the ransom negotiations as a suspect and are seeking another seven, the agency said.
Greece, currently in the throes of a major economic crisis, is an important hub for clandestine migrants to Europe from Turkey and the Middle East.
Pakistan is one of the main countries of provenance.
Smugglers charge a high price to bring migrants and refugees to Greece by plane, speedboat or truck and those who survive a perilous journey usually end up heavily in debt to the gangs.
Overall, nearly 100,000 people were arrested in Greece last year for illegal entry or residence and authorities are going through some 30,000 asylum requests by migrants and refugees, according to officials.
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I am devastated. Many years ago, many young Indian boys drowned while being ferried illegally in a boat to some EU country. My mum was very upset. May this boy's soul rest in peace.
Agree Optimist Me also Thinking to Get out Of Pakistan! For Best Future..
Lets not curse Greece. . Lets ask why our kids have to go to such places in desperation? . Although many people will say a lot of things, poor people's life has no value! It is not because of Islam, even Latin Christians and Indian Sikhs/Hindus are being treated very badly and their Crime? To have a better future for their families!!
@Indiankid
Kid, no of Indians migrating illegally to other countries is negligible. Indians usually travel with valid papers.
If 100 Pakistanis migrate illegally, 50 Bangladeshis migrate illegally, you will hardly find 1 Indian.
I remember, during a bus ride in a European country, an elderly lady, asking me if I'm a srilankan (because there are too many srilankans and Bangladeshis). I said I'm an Indian and pat came the reply "Ah, Indian good! Indian has visa", in a broken English.
@pakistan politics: @kaalchakra: The Pakistani teenager was held captive and starved by a Pakistani in Greece, so why blame Greece?
@pakistan politics: Did you even read the news item? It was apparently a dispute with the smuggler(s). You are right up there with Tanoli in reading just the headline and creating narrative to fit your own worldview.
The life of a Muslim has no value in Christian Europe. Had it been a Christian, EU would have called an emergency meeting by now.
@pakistan politics: Greece is a terrorist country
So is beloved Pakistan - in fact many many times more.
@pakistan politics: You can reasonably call Greece a bankrupt country or a country where corruption is a way of life or a country which is threatening to drag the EU down but not a terrorist country. Greece may have its ills such as citizens not paying tax or lack of jobs or lazy public workers who work hardly a few hours a day but it is unfair to link terrorism with Greece. Just because illegal migrants use Greece as a stepping stone to claim asylum in Europe is no reason to be down on Greece
Greece is a terrorist country