FIA arrests suspected human smuggler linked to Morocco boat tragedy
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The Federal Investigation Agency logo can be seen outside the FIA building in Islamabad. — FIA Website/File
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ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested a suspected human smuggler involved in the Moroccan boat tragedy during a raid from Sialkot.
The FIA, along with Interpol, has intensified crackdown against human trafficking networks that are smuggling people into other countries using illegal maritime routes.
The FIA Gujranwala Zone arrested the accused Mohammad Aslam during a raid in Sambrial area of Sialkot. The accused, along with colleagues, tried to smuggle the deceased Aamir Ali to Spain. Initially, the victim was sent to Mauritania, after which the boat tried to smuggle the victim to Spain.
Earlier this month, 44 Pakistanis lost their lives in the boat tragedy, but Aamir Ali was rescued by Moroccan authorities. His name is included in the list released by the Foreign Ministry. Smugglers took Rs 5.35 million from the affected family.
The efforts are expected to intensify as Pakistan strengthens its relations with international law enforcement agencies, reaffirms its commitment to deal with human trafficking and ensure justice.
The FIA called for a renewed focus on eliminating human trafficking networks. Red notices, especially targeting human smugglers, are playing an important role in these operations.
The DGFIA directed the authorities to strengthen cooperation with international organizations and intensify efforts to arrest suspects around the world. The agency aims to take advantage of technology and global partnerships to further counter international crime.
The FIA’s actions reflect Pakistan’s commitment to deal with organized crime, ensuring that no culprit can avoid justice globally. During the past one year, 116 suspects involved in abusive crimes, including human trafficking, murder, robbery and corruption, were arrested. The FIA headquarters said Thursday that these operations highlight Pakistan’s commitment to deal with international crime and maintain justice.
According to the FIA’s NCB Interpol Pakistan, red notices were issued to detect and arrest the wanted persons in serious crimes. Arrests were made in collaboration with international law enforcement agencies and included suspects from several countries – United Arab Emirates (UAE): 53 suspects, Saudi Arabia: 32 suspects, Oman: 6 suspects, Spain and Spain Italy: 4 suspects and other countries such as Switzerland, Germany, Greece, France, the United Kingdom, Qatar and Kyrgyzstan also supported the arrests, maintained the FIA headquarters, adding that the arrested persons were handed over to the relevant police departments. Gaya, Punjab Police: 111 suspects, National Accountability Bureau (NAB): 2 suspects, FIA: 2 suspects, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police: 1 suspects.
In just 2024, the FIA issued 162 red notices targeting those involved in serious crimes. In addition, 7 yellow notes (used to detect missing persons) and 2 blue notes (to collect additional information about suspects). Punjab Police won a majority with 131 red notices, followed by the FIA with 23 notices, targeting several human smugglers.
Director General FIA, Ahmed Ishaq Jahangir, praised the integration of modern equipment like the Interpol Find system with Pakistan’s Integrated Border Management System (IBMS), calling it a “historic achievement”. The system has increased the performance of the identity of the fugitives, the recovery of missing persons and the exchange of important information globally. This advanced technology has improved the recovery of missing children and has paved the arrest of the wanted criminals internationally.
The DGFIA said that there is no safe haven for the fugitive accused in serious crimes. NCB Interpol Pakistan is equipped with modern technology and maintains 24/7 contact with the world.
He added that Interpol’s found system has achieved significant results, which has helped identify and arrest the culprits. The DG directed that action be accelerated against the accused involved in human trafficking. He directed the FIA authorities to intensify operations against human smugglers and other criminals and strengthen cooperation with international organizations. The DG asked the officers to utilize all the available resources to catch the fugitive suspects and to eliminate organized crime networks.
Pakistan has long been facing the challenges of human trafficking and international crime. Recent high -profile boat accidents containing migrants have highlighted the need for strict action against smugglers exploiting weak people.
These cooperation between the FIA and Interpol show a strategy to prevent these criminal activities and to ensure global accountability.
