ISLAMABAD, (TDI): Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has issued red notices via Interpol for 20 foreign-based human traffickers linked to the 2023 Libyan boat tragedy, which resulted in the deaths of over 260 Pakistanis, state media reported on Thursday.
The disaster occurred when an overcrowded vessel carrying migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, capsized in international waters near the southwestern Greek coastal town of Pylos.
The incident is considered one of the deadliest boat tragedies in the Mediterranean Sea’s history.
In response to the tragedy, the issue of illegal migration to Europe drew significant attention in Pakistan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered heightened efforts to combat human trafficking networks.
The incident shed light on the perilous journeys undertaken by migrants, many of whom are compelled by economic challenges to risk their lives seeking better opportunities abroad.
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“The red notices have been issued through Interpol for 20 traffickers based overseas,” stated the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
The FIA confirmed that arrests are being pursued in collaboration with global law enforcement agencies.
The agency has also begun blocking identity cards and freezing bank accounts of facilitators involved in the Libyan boat tragedy.
According to state media, the FIA has so far arrested 144 individuals, including 16 lawyers, in connection with the incident.
Additionally, the agency has registered 197 cases and blacklisted the passports of 55 others linked to human smuggling activities.
Director General FIA Ahmad Ishaq Jahangir has instructed airport officials to maintain strict surveillance to prevent suspects from fleeing the country.
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Illegal migration remains a pressing issue in Pakistan, as many citizens seek to escape economic hardships by undertaking hazardous journeys to Europe.
The most recent tragedy involving Pakistani migrants occurred on December 19, when Pakistan’s mission in Greece confirmed the deaths of five Pakistanis in a boat disaster near the Greek island of Gavdos.
Following this, on December 27, Pakistani authorities arrested a woman and two other human traffickers in connection with these smuggling networks.
