Racketeers: FIA prepares report on 100 top human traffickers
Says a highly organised racket of people smuggling had taken deep roots in the country.
Says a highly organised racket of people smuggling had taken deep roots in the country. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has prepared a report on the 100 major human smugglers in Pakistan.
These human smugglers, operating from major cities of Pakistan and abroad, run an orgnanised network and earn billions of rupees by smuggling thousands of Pakistanis each year.
A senior and well-reputed official of the FIA has compiled a comprehensive report on the organised network operating in Pakistan for years. The report, unveiling more than 100 human smugglers and their links in the immigration department, has been sent to FIA bosses.
According to the report, the crime has taken deep roots in the country, with many human traffickers living respectable lives as politicians and businessmen in big cities. Some of them have also taken up residence abroad, including UAE, South Africa and different European countries.
These people have been carrying out their transactions over phone. The report says the immigration officials, deployed for many years at Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad airports, have also become a regular part of the racket. These officials not only facilitate in the smuggling but also use the lacunas in the law to continue this crime.
The report says these FIA immigration officials take $400 to $500 for each person that uses the services of a human smuggler for going abroad. These officials charge $1,000 to $1,500 from every person leaving for Canada and Europe for employment.
Pakistan’s most populated province, Punjab, is considered a haven for a great number of human smugglers, who enjoy support of influential people from politics, government and civil bureaucracy. Sources said the majority 60% to 70% of the people using smugglers as means to go abroad belong to Punjab.
Karachi is the second largest hub of these activities, where representatives of these smugglers operate due to the fact that most of the international flights operate from the city.
Sources say that due to their longstanding links, the smugglers and the immigration officials have turned into a ‘family’, with very strong internal bonds.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 3rd, 2014.
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has prepared a report on the 100 major human smugglers in Pakistan.
These human smugglers, operating from major cities of Pakistan and abroad, run an orgnanised network and earn billions of rupees by smuggling thousands of Pakistanis each year.
A senior and well-reputed official of the FIA has compiled a comprehensive report on the organised network operating in Pakistan for years. The report, unveiling more than 100 human smugglers and their links in the immigration department, has been sent to FIA bosses.
According to the report, the crime has taken deep roots in the country, with many human traffickers living respectable lives as politicians and businessmen in big cities. Some of them have also taken up residence abroad, including UAE, South Africa and different European countries.
These people have been carrying out their transactions over phone. The report says the immigration officials, deployed for many years at Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad airports, have also become a regular part of the racket. These officials not only facilitate in the smuggling but also use the lacunas in the law to continue this crime.
The report says these FIA immigration officials take $400 to $500 for each person that uses the services of a human smuggler for going abroad. These officials charge $1,000 to $1,500 from every person leaving for Canada and Europe for employment.
Pakistan’s most populated province, Punjab, is considered a haven for a great number of human smugglers, who enjoy support of influential people from politics, government and civil bureaucracy. Sources said the majority 60% to 70% of the people using smugglers as means to go abroad belong to Punjab.
Karachi is the second largest hub of these activities, where representatives of these smugglers operate due to the fact that most of the international flights operate from the city.
Sources say that due to their longstanding links, the smugglers and the immigration officials have turned into a ‘family’, with very strong internal bonds.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 3rd, 2014.