Islamabad:The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has intensified its crackdown on international human trafficking networks, arresting two major human smugglers involved in exploiting innocent citizens under the guise of overseas employment.
In a significant operation led by FIA Gujranwala Zone, officials apprehended two notorious traffickers, Shafqat Ali and Rizwan Kanwal, from Phalia and Kharian. The suspects were involved in smuggling individuals to Europe via Libya and Mauritania, charging them exorbitant amounts with false promises of jobs in Spain and Italy.
Investigations revealed that Shafqat Ali extorted over Rs. 5 million from multiple victims by falsely assuring them of employment opportunities in Spain. However, instead of Spain, the victims were sent to Mauritania, where they were coerced into taking a perilous sea route to Europe. Upon realizing the dangers involved, many refused to board the boats and returned to Pakistan after suffering financial losses.
Similarly, Rizwan Kanwal, operating from Qadirabad Phalia, was engaged in smuggling people to Libya before attempting to transport them to Italy by sea. Victims were held hostage in inhumane conditions, subjected to physical abuse, and their families were extorted for ransom. Some victims managed to escape and return home, exposing the trafficker’s operations.
The FIA has confirmed that both Shafqat Ali and Rizwan Kanwal were wanted in multiple cases related to human trafficking, with four registered FIRs against Kanwal in Composite Circle Gujrat. Authorities have launched further investigations and raids are underway to apprehend their accomplices.
Amid rising concerns over boat tragedies and human smuggling incidents, Director of FIA Gujranwala Zone, Abdul Qadir Qamar, reiterated the agency’s zero-tolerance policy towards human trafficking networks.
“Those who play with the lives of innocent people will be brought to justice. The FIA is committed to dismantling human smuggling networks at both national and international levels,” the FIA Gujranwala Zone Director, warned. The FIA has intensified efforts to track and dismantle organized smuggling rings, many of which operate in collaboration with international criminal syndicates.