LAHORE - The FIA has traced 16 international human smugglers operating from Europe and Iran and involved in smuggling of 20 job seekers massacred near Pak-Iran border.
The Agency has also written letters to embassies of the countries concerned to arrest the criminals and hand them over to Pakistan through Interpol for further action.
The victims had been killed by unidentified gunmen in the Buleda Gorak area of Turbat on Wednesday. Dead bodies of another five shot dead on Friday reached Lahore by a PIA flight on Sunday.
An FIA officer told The Nation that the job seekers had been killed while trying to sneak into Iran through unfrequented routes and they were supposed to further proceed to Turkey to enter Greece for the sake of employment.
Deputy Director FIA Gujranwala Kahlid Anees, while talking to this scribe, said, “We, with the help of intelligence agencies and Nadra, have traced the whereabouts of the human smugglers operating from Europe and Iran”.
He said, after being informed through media reports that job seekers were killed at Pak-Iran border, FIA Gujranwala constituted four teams to contact the deceased families for enquiring the factual position and identification of local agents who booked the persons for illegal immigration. It is confirmed that the incident took place about 175 kilometers from Pak-Iran border.
Out of 16 international human smugglers, two are from Europe including Malik Kashif r/o District Gujrat now residing in Germany with cell No. 004915217231804 also available on Whatsaap and Imo. Humayoun Shakeel r/o Gujrat now residing in Turkey with cell No.00306946143549 also available on Whatsaap and Imo.
Those operating from Iran are Haji Remat with cell No. 00989152899124, Abdul Zahidan with cell No. 00989153434612, Akbar cell No. 00989363993427, Shah Nazar cell No. 00989159433106, Saeed Baloch cell No. 0098179399312, Nazar Baloch cell No. 00989176921034, Najeeb Afghani cell No. 00989394581918, Barkat Baloch cell No. 00989193060638, Haji Anwar cell No. 00989153436517, Baloch Khan cell No. 00989105936934, Jabar cell No. 0098177877514, Babal cell No. 00989108930076, Fahad Abi cell No. 00989179023171, Haji Hakeem cell No. 00989147166367. Among the deceased are Ghafoor Ahmed resident of Sialkot, Zafran Zahid R/O Bhagwal Awan tehsil and distt Sialkot.
Azhar Waqas R/O Rairkah Bala tehsil Phalia distt Mandi Bahauddin. Saifullah r/o Dhabb P/O Surkh Pur tehsil and distt Gujrat. Zulfiqar Ali R/O Railway Phatak, Mohallah Fazal Abad, tehsil Malikwal, distt, MB Din. Khurram Shahzad R/O Jharanwala, P/O Khas Phalia Distt. MB Din.
Ghulam Rabbani R/O Jamke Chattah, P/O Khas tehsil Wazirabad distt. Gujranwala. Tayyab Raza R/O Sialkot. Ehsan Raza Minhas R/O Wazirabad distt. Gujranwala. Muhammad Waqas R/o village Gojra tehsil Daska distt Sialkot. Muhammad Husnain Nadeem, R/O Wah Cantt Rawalpindi.
Three of them are still unidentified. Real brother of deceased Ashraf told FIA that his deceased brother wanted to go to Turkey, he met with Rashid Cheema and Tanveer Cheema (Land route agents) and paid Rs1,50,000 on November 10. On his pointation, FIA arrested Tanveer Cheema while Rashid Cheema has flown to Turkey. A case FIR No.872/17 dated 16-11-2017 U/s 17/22 EO 1979 has been registered against the accused.
The brother of deceased Zafran informed FIA that they paid Rs1,50,000 to agent Rashid Cheema and Tanveer Cheema also.
Nassar Waqas, real brother of deceased Azhar Waqas, disclosed that his brother went to Taftan border for entering into Turkey without any agent.
Muhammad Aslam the cousin of deceased Saif Ullah informed FIA investigators that deceased went to Quetta three months ago for labour. He further said that they were unaware of any situation weather he was planning to go to Turkey or otherwise. The real brother of deceased Zulfiqar disclosed that his deceased brother had a tea shop in the village. He wanted to go to Turkey and contacted Abdul Waheed Pathan Agent and paid Rs135,000 for the purpose. The deceased departed on November 10 for Quetta and was killed at the hand of unknown people.
Awais, the brother of deceased Khuram, disclosed that his brother wanted to go to Turkey for which he contacted his close relative Naveed agent and paid Rs150,000 to him. FIA conducted several raids but accused went underground.
Muhammad Kashif and Chand, brothers of the deceased Ghulam Rabbani, disclosed that the deceased departed 10 days ago through an agent Abid Hussain and Sajid Hussain, resident of Jamkey Chattah Distt Gujranwala, with connivance of Zafar Iqbal. He paid Rs50,000 in advance while remaining 100,000 was to be paid upon reaching in Turkey. FIA has arrested agents namely Abid Hussain and Zafar Iqbal in Case FIR No.873/17 dated 16 November U/s 17/22 EO 1979, 3/4 HTO 2002.
Khalid the cousin of deceased Tayab Raza claimed that they were unaware of the situation that how did he go to Quetta.
During inquiry, it was learnt that the deceased Ahson Raza Minhas was unmarried of 25 with years of age. He proceeded to Karachi on the instigation of agent namely Nasir Shah resident of Tehsil Wazirabad Distt Gujranwala who is purportedly residing in Greece having cell No.00306942996105 against the consideration of Rs140,000 about 20 days ago. Upon reaching Karachi he was picked by an unknown agent for Balochistan. After one day, the deceased contacted with him through a cell No.0312-7963023 and said that he was in Turbat and he will proceed to Iran on Sunday night. After that conversation, he went out of contact with his family. The disclosed agent Nasir Shah is out of country.
FIA team contacted Zaka Ullah, cousin of deceased Muhammad Waqas, who stated that the father of deceased namely Muhammad Ilyas paid Rs.135000 to the agent Tahir Mewati @ Rana R/o Bhandy chak Tehsil Sambrial Distt Sialkot. After completion of initial interrogation, FIA Gujranwala teams conducted several raids at different premises of Tehsil Sambrial for arrest of accused agent but he is still at large.
The relatives and parents of the deceased persons have confirmed that the agents Malik Sajjad Hussain, Qaisar Munir received an amount Rs150,000 per head and sent them to Quetta on 31st October through bus from Gujrat. They further disclosed that the deceased persons were supposed to proceed from Quetta to Iran, Iran to Turkey, Turkey to Greece and onward Greece to Germany and Italy. FIA has initiated continuous crackdowns against the local agents.
FIA has also traced the location of agents involved in from Quetta including Abid alias Wahab R/O Quetta who is using mobile No 0333-3225142, which is registered in the name of Muhammad union council Nok Kar Tehsil and District Panjgur..