Editor Report
LAHORE,:The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Lahore Zone has arrested five human traffickers, including a key suspect involved in the 2023 Greece boat tragedy, during major operations conducted in Lahore and Sheikhupura.According to the FIA spokesperson on Wednesday, the arrested suspects have been identified as Sibtain Abbas, Bilal Ahmad, Waseem Azam, Muhammad Riaz and Muhammad Aamir Farooq.During the raids, notorious trafficker Sibtain Abbas was apprehended for allegedly extorting Rs 1.7 million from a citizen by promising an Italian work visa. The suspect attempted to illegally send the victim to Italy via Libya. The boat carrying the victim capsized in Greek waters and the citizen remains missing.Another suspect, Bilal Ahmad, reportedly took Rs 630,000 from a citizen under the pretext of providing a Qatar work visa. He failed to fulfill the promise and went into hiding. Authorities recovered 13 Pakistani passports from his possession.Meanwhile, suspects Waseem Azam, Muhammad Riaz and Muhammad Aamir Farooq were found involved in human trafficking under the guise of operating a fake consultancy firm named Gulf Medical Consultants. The FIA recovered 11 Pakistani passports, six mobile phones and several original medical reports and documents during the operation.
