FAISALABAD: The FIA has arrested a human smuggler involved in the Mauritania land route for trafficking individuals, according to official reports.
The accused, Mubashir Enayat, allegedly took 4.7 million rupees from a man, promising him employment in Spain. However, Enayat sent the individual to Senegal on a visit visa via Mauritania. The victim later refused to travel by boat to Europe, as confirmed by FIA officials.
A mobile phone and other evidence were seized from Enayat. The FIA is now conducting raids to apprehend other members of the human smuggling network.
In related news, seven Pakistani survivors of the recent Morocco boat tragedy have been repatriated. The survivors, from various districts in Punjab, were taken into custody at Islamabad Airport by FIA’s Immigration Cell for questioning. During their statements, they revealed that they had been brutally tortured by human traffickers. They also provided details about the agents and traffickers, prompting an expanded investigation.
The migrants had attempted to illegally enter Spain via Senegal, paying traffickers between Rs1.6 million to Rs2.5 million per person.
A four-member investigative team from Pakistan also recorded the survivors’ testimonies in Morocco. The survivors described the tragedy as a “mass killing,” alleging that traffickers stopped the boat in open waters and demanded ransom from those aboard. According to their account, 21 Pakistanis were allowed to leave the boat after paying the ransom, while many others perished due to severe cold, torture, and a lack of food and water.
The boat is believed to have been operated by an international trafficking ring, with agents from Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco involved.
