Deported: Eight Pakistanis arrive from Turkey
Eight Pakistanis arrested from Turkey for illegal entry arrived at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport by a Turkish airline on Wednesday.
Immigration officials of Federal Investigations Agency (FIA) said the deported Pakistanis entered Iran by road and then attempted to sneak into Turkey. They intended to go on to Greece and other European countries. “It is the favourite route for illegal immigrants to enter Europe,” said an official. He said dozens of human traffickers were operating on the route and minting millions from people.
The immigration officials said the deportees were sent to Anti-Human Trafficking Circle Rawalpindi for legal action. Seven of the eight deportees belong to Gujrat, while one is from Lahore.
An FIA official said cases will be registered against human smugglers involved in trafficking them. The eight deportees will be released following payment of airfare for their travel to Pakistan, he said.
“These traffickers are usually known to FIA officers and there are cases against them,” the official said. However, he added the traffickers can be arrested only when they are in Pakistan. Mostly, they stay in Iran or Turkey and operate from there with the help of local contacts, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 24th, 2012.
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