Five human smugglers arrested after 15 killings

LAHORE: After the brutal murders of at least 15 aspiring emigrants from Punjab in the Kech area of Balochistan who were on their way to Europe in hope for better and prosperous future, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Thursday managed to arrest five human smugglers and agents.

Arrested human smugglers and the agents were identified as Muhammad Tanveer of Mundair Khurd, Sambrial, Zafar Iqbal of Jamke Chattha, Gujranwala, Bashir Ahmad of Chak Basawa, Mandi Bahauddin, Jumma Khan alias Musa Khan of Dougelian, Mandi Bahauddin and Adeel Abbas of village Ehal Shareef, Gujrat. They had collected Rs 120,000 to Rs 150,000 from each aspirant for sending them to Europe through land routes via Iran and Turkey.

Bullet-riddled bodies of at least 15 men were found by the law enforcement agencies in the Buleda area of Kech district near the Pakistan-Iran border the other day. Reportedly, the banned Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), headed by Allah Nazar Baloch, has claimed the responsibility for all the killings.

FIA officials, seeking anonymity, told The News on Thursday that accused human smuggler Muhammad Tanveer and his nephew Rashid Cheema, reportedly in Turkey, had made a deal to sent two men village Awan Bagwal, Sialkot, Ghafoor and Zafran, both later murdered in Kech incident, after getting Rs Rs150,000 each.

FIA official said that the arrested accused Bashir Ahmed was also involved in the abduction for ransom of such people travelling illegally through land routes to reach Europe via Iran and Turkey. He said the accused had already received Rs 260,000 from the families of abductees. In this connection, "We are doing our best for the release of abductees," he added.

When contacted, FIA Punjab, Lahore Zone, Director Dr Usman Anwar told The News that a manhunt was started soon after the incident took place and FIA managed to arrest five persons responsible for making deals for sending them abroad illegally. He said FIA could only check border crossing at the immigration points, whereas, other law enforcement agencies should have to be more active in insurgency-hit province to control such illegal traffic of aspiring emigrants.

"We have contacted all the victim families and are recording their statements to nab all the accused persons responsible for such human smuggling/trafficking," Usman said, adding that legislation was required to increase punishments with minimum of three years having zero option of fine punishment. "We have apprised the quarters concerned about what needs to be changed in the relevant law but things haven’t been changed yet in this regard," he added.

The FIA officer stated that the media and civil society should also play their part in making people aware of the consequences of such illegal border crossing and the fake promises which human smugglers make with the aspiring emigrants.