KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) successfully thwarted a human smuggling attempt at Karachi airport on Friday, detaining four individuals with connections to an Indian agent, ARY News reported.
FIA immigration officials apprehended a human smuggler, Abdul Shakoor, along with three passengers attempting to travel to Poland through Azerbaijan using illegal means.
The arrested individuals include Haseeb Ahmed, Qaiser Ahmed, Usman Ali, and Abdul Shakoor, the smuggler. According to FIA, crucial evidence was discovered on Abdul Shakoor’s mobile phone, which revealed his links to an Indian agent, Gautam Sharma, who had planned to send the group to Poland via Azerbaijan.
The suspects hail from Faisalabad, Chiniot, Gujranwala, and Nankana Sahib. Three of the passengers admitted to paying Abdul Shakoor Rs1.4 million each for their illegal journey, with an advance of Rs250,000 each. Shakoor had obtained the necessary visas from Sangla Hill.
All four detainees have been transferred to FIA’s Anti-human Trafficking Cell in Karachi for further investigation.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif ordered swift and strict action against human traffickers, directing authorities to arrest all involved within a week. The prime minister chaired a meeting to review measures against human trafficking, which included a report from a committee led by Mushtaq Sukhera, formed after the tragic migrant boat capsizing incident near Greece in December 2024.
The prime minister also stressed the need for more effective prosecution and questioned why no disciplinary actions had been taken against government officials allegedly facilitating human traffickers.
