KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Gujranwala zone has arrested a notorious human trafficker wanted in connection with the Libya boat tragedy.

As per details, the accused identified as Yasir Mehmood was on the Red Book’s most-wanted list and had over five cases registered against him in Composite Circle Gujrat in 2023. Mehmood allegedly extorted millions of rupees from victims, promising to smuggle them to Europe. He would illegally transport people to Libya via Egypt and Dubai, where they were kept in inhumane conditions in safe houses. The trafficker then attempted to transport the victims from Libya to Italy by boat, resulting in the tragic death of several individuals. FIA used modern technology to apprehend Mahmood in Gujrat after multiple raids. An investigation has been initiated, and efforts are underway to arrest other accomplices. There have been two notable incidents of boats drowning off the coast of Libya in the Mediterranean Sea this year in which several Pakistanis had lost their lives. The first incident took place in February and the other in April. Later, an Italy-bound fishing trawler reportedly carrying at least 800 people - including hundreds of Pakistanis - capsized off Greece. The then-Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities concerned to investigate the human trafficking that led to the tragic incident of a migrant shipwreck near Greece with several Pakistani nationals onboard.

The premier directed concerned authorities for an immediate crackdown against agents involved in the heinous crime of human trafficking and called for bringing them to justice.