‘Human trafficking generates Rs32bn a year’

Karachi
Human trafficking and smuggling of migrants remains to be one of the most lucrative businesses, generating more than Rs32 billion in profits every year.
This was revealed by the country representative of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Pakistan, Cesar Guedes, on Tuesday while speaking at a two-day regional conference on human trafficking and migrant smuggling organised by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
He pointed out that there were 2.4 million victims of human trafficking around the world, out of which 70 percent were women and young girls.
The conference is the first of its kind in the region and is being attended by ambassadors and high commissioners, senior government officials and representatives from 50 countries to enhance regional cooperation related to irregular migration attempts.
Director-General FIA Akbar Khan Hoti said on the occasion that the FIA had arrested 1,310 smugglers and was now endeavouring to overcome the growing challenges posed by human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
He said that Pakistan was committed to working collectively with the world against the human and migrant smuggling.
Additional Director-General Immigration FIA Wajid Zia while giving a presentation on Pakistan’s role as a source of transit and destination country, said around 8.3 million Pakistanis were working abroad and most of them lived in the Middle East.