Human smuggling: Three Pakistanis arrested in Italy

ROME: Three Pakistani nationals have been arrested in Italy for their alleged role in human smuggling linked to the deadly boat tragedy off Greece’s coast last year.

The arrests took place in the cities of Turin, Catanzaro, and Brescia, following a request from Pakistani judicial authorities, Italian media reported.

The suspects are believed to have facilitated illegal immigration that led to the June 14, 2023, shipwreck near Pylos, Greece, in which hundreds of Pakistanis lost their lives.

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Italy’s State Police, in collaboration with the International Police Cooperation Service, carried out the arrests under warrants issued by Pakistan. Italian appellate courts confirmed the detentions.

Investigators told InfoMigrants that the men helped smuggle migrants from Pakistan through Libya, using the Central Mediterranean route to reach the EU via Italy and Greece.

Authorities say the accused were part of a trafficking network that also secured fake work visas to bypass immigration laws.

Police are now searching for three more Pakistanis linked to the same network.