Notorious human trafficker wanted in Libya boat wreck case arrested

GUJRAT: In a major crackdown against human trafficking networks, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested Muhammad Suleman, a notorious fugitive listed in the agency’s ‘Red Book,’ for his involvement in the deadly Libya boat wreck that claimed numerous lives.

A spokesperson of the agency said on Friday that the arrest was made in Gujrat following directives from Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. 

Suleman, one of the most wanted human traffickers, faced charges in over seven cases filed by FIA’s Gujrat Composite Circle in 2023, including one pertaining to Libya boat wreck. Authorities allege that Suleman extorted millions of rupees from victims under the pretense of facilitating their illegal migration to Europe. 

According to FIA officials, Suleman and his network charged approximately Rs2.4 million per person from seven victims. The victims were reportedly transported to Libya via Egypt and Dubai, where they were held in squalid conditions at safe houses. 

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The trafficker’s plan to smuggle the victims to Italy by boat ended in tragedy when the vessel capsized, resulting in the death of several migrants. The Libya boat wreck, part of a larger humanitarian crisis, drew international attention to the perils of illegal migration and the networks that profit from it. 

FIA spokespersons said the agency used advanced technology and intelligence to locate and apprehend Suleman. Despite multiple raids in the past, the fugitive had evaded capture until now.

He confirmed that an investigation is underway and efforts are being made to apprehend other members of Suleman’s trafficking network. 

The arrest comes amid heightened efforts to combat human trafficking in Pakistan. Recent tragedies, such as the capsizing of a migrant boat near Greece’s Gavdos Island, underscore the urgency of dismantling such networks. That incident resulted in the confirmed deaths of five migrants, with several others reported missing. 

Earlier, Pakistan’s Foreign Office confirmed that four Pakistanis had died in the Greece boat capsizing incident, while 47 survivors were identified and their names released. 

Following the incident, the FIA Gujranwala registered a case under the Human Trafficking Act against four accused, including a woman.

According to FIA, Qamar Zaman alias Khuram Jajja, Usman, Asif Jajja, and Sofia Ashiq attempted to send a young man named Sufiyan through ‘illegal’ means to Italy via boat from Libya. They received Rs2.4 million from the young man to send him to the European country. All four accused belong to the same family and have been running a human trafficking racket for a long time, operating from various countries.