The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Sunday said it had arrested one of the two main human traffickers in connection with the Greece and Libya shipwreck tragedies.
Last month, an Italy-bound fishing trawler reportedly carrying at least 800 people — including approximately 350 Pakistanis — capsized off Greece. The incident led to a day of mourning along with the launch of a nationwide crackdown on human smugglers with many subsequently arrested.
Separately, there have been two other notable incidents of boats drowning off the coast of Libya in the Mediterranean Sea this year in which several Pakistanis — among others — had lost their lives. The first incident took place in February and the other in April, but the authorities did not specify in which case the latest arrest was made.
According to a statement from the FIA spokesperson issued on Sunday, Mohammad Saleem Saniyare — a key figure in the Greek tragedy — was arrested in Gujrat in a major operation by the watchdog’s local team.
The statement added that he was the brother of the main suspect — Asif Saniyare — who is still at large. It further said that Saleem took millions of rupees from the people to illegally send them to Europe and there were already nine cases registered against him at the FIA’s Gujrat branch.The watchdog said Asif was present in Libya currently and had various safehouses there.
