Two Pakistanis arrested for trafficking Italy migrants
At least four Pakistani citizens are reported to have died in a boat wreck off the coast of Benghazi in Libya, the Foreign Office said on Tuesday.
“We would like to share with great sorrow that initial reports suggest that four Pakistanis have perished in a boat wreck near Benghazi, Libya on 26 February 2023,” the Foreign Office said in a tweet.
Pakistan’s embassy in Tripoli is facilitating the process of transportation of the mortal remains of the victims to Pakistan, it added.
Meanwhile, Italy has arrested three people who they believe trafficked up to 200 migrants aboard a wooden boat that smashed apart on rocks off southern Italy on Sunday, killing at least 64 people, police said on Tuesday.
Lieutenant Colonel Alberto Lippolis said a Turkish man and two Pakistani nationals had sailed the boat from Turkey to Italy despite the terrible weather, and were identified by survivors as “the main culprits of the tragedy”.
“According to initial investigations, they allegedly asked the migrants for about 8,000 euros ($8,485) each for the deadly journey,” said Lippolis, commander of a finance police team in the region of Calabria. “All three have been arrested.”
“We will carry on searching … the sea until we are certain that we have found everyone,” said Rocco Mortato, a member of the underwater diving team of the fire brigade.
