The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has postponed a human smuggling network involved in sending citizens to Europe through illegal southern routes that detained five passengers at Karachi Airport.
According to a FIA spokesman, passengers arrived from Mauritania and were identified as Samiullah, Daud Iqbal, Murtaza Khan, Shah Wali and Arshad, who came 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 first study revealed that passengers had traveled through Dubai, Saudi -Arabia and Qatar before reaching Mauritania.
Upon arrival in Mauritania, the agents tried to send them to Europe via the sea, but passengers refused to take on the risky journey and returned to Pakistan.
The agents, reportedly from different parts of Punjab, are traced as the FIA continues its probe.
The retained passengers have been handed over to Karachi Anti-Human Trafficking Circle for further examination.
The FIA Karachi Zone director said strict control of travel documents is underway and action against human smuggling networks and their facilitators continue without discrimination.
Last week, a boat tragedy off the coast of Libya that the lives of 16 Pakistani citizens with 37 survivors. The boat, which carries 65 people, hijacked in the Mediterranean, which received an immediate reaction from the Pakistani Embassy in Tripoli to provide help and support to the survivors.
In addition, the Foreign Office (FO) confirmed the identity of 13 Pakistanis who were among the victims of a separate boat tragedy that took place last month in the water between Mauritania and Morocco.
On January 16, FO reported that the boat, which carried 80 passengers, hijacked near Morocco with over 40 Pakistanis among those who feared dead.
