An important development has emerged in the Greece boat tragedy case, as nine suspects, including human traffickers involved in the incident, have been arrested.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Muhammad Shafiq, Azmat Ali, Khizr Hayat, Mirza Sikandar, Muhammad Nawaz, Shahid Amin, Shehzad Yousaf, Zafar Iqbal, and Asad Abbas. They were apprehended from different areas of Gujranwala and Gujrat. Among the arrested suspects are traffickers involved in both the Greece and Libya boat tragedies.
Notably, notorious agent Zafar Iqbal, who was involved in the Greece boat tragedy, has been arrested. He was found guilty of abducting innocent children and attempting to send them abroad. Zafar Iqbal, a member of an international smuggling gang, was arrested in Mandi Bahauddin. He had taken 1.9 million rupees and 2,300 euros from the family under the pretext of sending a minor to Italy via Libya. During the journey, the boat encountered an accident off the coast of Greece, resulting in the child’s death.
Another fugitive, Shehzad Yousaf, was arrested from Kharian. He was involved in the Libya boat tragedy and was also a member of the same international human trafficking gang. He had extorted 2.3 million rupees from a citizen with the promise of sending him to Italy for work via Libya. Later, he attempted to send the victim from Libya to Greece via boat.
Other arrested suspects include Muhammad Shafiq and Khizr Hayat, who extorted 4 million rupees each from victims under the guise of sending them illegally to Greece. Azmat Ali took 5 million rupees from a citizen under the pretext of providing employment in Greece. Mirza Sikandar took 5 million rupees from a complainant to send his two sons to Europe for work. Muhammad Nawaz took over 1 million rupees for sending a citizen to Cambodia for employment. Shahid Amin took over 1.7 million rupees for sending a citizen to Italy for work, and Asad Abbas took 2 million rupees for sending a victim to Greece.
The arrested individuals had gone into hiding after collecting hefty sums of money. Investigations have begun, and raids are being carried out to apprehend the remaining suspects.
According to FIA Director Gujranwala Zone, Abdul Qadir Qamar, the crackdown on the elements involved in the Greece boat tragedy continues. Special teams have been formed for the arrest of the suspects.
Additionally, the FIA has initiated departmental action against officers and staff involved in human trafficking. Eighteen officers and personnel allegedly involved have been transferred, including one sub-inspector, three ASIs, 11 head constables, and three constables. They have been reassigned to different districts, including Gujrat, Gujranwala, and Sialkot. Notifications for the transfers have been issued.
