31 FIA Officials Linked to Greece Boat Tragedy Placed on Passport Control List
ISLAMABAD: The government has moved to place 31 Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials and personnel, allegedly connected to the Greece boat tragedy that claimed the lives of several Pakistanis, on the passport control list.
According to the interior ministry, these 31 officials include inspectors, sub-inspectors, and personnel posted across various airports: 19 at Faisalabad, five at Quetta, three at Sialkot, two at Lahore, and two at Islamabad.
The tragedy unfolded when a wooden boat capsized near Greece’s southern island of Gavdos, resulting in at least four Pakistani deaths and dozens of missing persons. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, while witnesses report many still unaccounted for.
In recent days, authorities have intensified their crackdown on individuals linked to human smuggling networks responsible for the incident.
Fake Visa Factory Raid Uncovers Human Trafficking Network
On Saturday, the FIA’s Composite Circle in Gujranwala raided a fake visa factory in Shadman Colony, arresting two suspects, Ziaur Rehman and Ijaz Ahmed. These individuals were involved in forging and distributing fake passports, visa stickers, and travel documents, operating as part of an international human trafficking network.
Recovered items included 20 Pakistani and 31 foreign passports, over 200 fake visa stickers (including those for Europe, the UK, the US, and China), 95 counterfeit stamps, and lamination sheets. The seized evidence highlights a sophisticated forgery operation targeting innocent citizens in exchange for large sums of money.
Arrest of Human Trafficking Ringleader
In a separate operation, FIA’s Gujranwala Zone apprehended Yasir Shoukat, the alleged leader of an international human trafficking ring. The gang facilitated victims’ travel to Saudi Arabia on Umrah visas before attempting to smuggle them to Europe via Libya and Egypt.
The tragic journey ended in disaster when the victims’ boat capsized off Greece. The suspect had reportedly collected significant sums from the victims. During the raid, authorities recovered Pakistani passports, fake travel documents, visa stickers, and mobile phones.
Investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the network.
