ISLAMABAD: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested a human trafficker who was allegedly involved in a boat capsize off Greece that left more than 250 Pakistanis dead.
In June 2023, hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, had drowned when a boat traveling from Libya capsized and sank in the Greek coastal town of Pylos.
FIA spokesperson Abdul Ghafoor said that the investigating agency arrested an agent involved in human trafficking the Afghan land route.
The accused identified as Afsar Khan arrested from the Haripur. He is an Afghan national and is the brother of a “notorious” human trafficking agent, Qari Jan Muhammad.
The FIA spokesperson said that the arrested trafficker was responsible for illegally trafficking Pakistanis via sea from Libya to Europe in 2023.
On Dec. 27, Pakistani authorities arrested a woman along with two other human smugglers allegedly involved in last month’s boat tragedy.
“No one is allowed to play with lives of innocent people,” the FIA said, citing its top official in KP.
Also Read: FIA bars 15 suspects from leaving Pakistan over ‘Greece Boat’ tragedy
Yesterday, the FIA issued red notices through Interpol for 20 foreign-based human traffickers involved in the 2023 Greek boat tragedy.
On Wednesday, the investigating agency also dismissed its own 30 officers and registered criminal cases against 13 others over their alleged collision with human traffickers in illegally sending Pakistanis aboard.
