GUJRANWALA-The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested on Tuesday seven people from the city’s Sadoke area suspected to be involved in smuggling of people whose bullet-riddled bodies were found in Turbat last week. The suspects include four persons hailing from Balochistan.
The suspects were identified as Mohammad Husnain Khan, Afzaal Ahmed, Iqrar Hussain, Raja Mohammad Farooq Khan, Imran Khan, Faisal Ameen and Rasheed Abbas Khan.
Fake stamps, 142 Pakistani passports, pictures, several original Computerised National Identity Cards (CNIC), medical certificates, a photocopier machine, a laptop and an internet device were also recovered from the possession of agents, the source said. According to FIA Deputy Director Khalid Anis, the suspects were involved in smuggling of people via Iraq, Iran and Pakistan to Europe.
The main accused, Husnain, was found to be in contact with a wanted suspect, Akhtar Meo, involved in the Turbat killing incident.
In a separate operation in Gujrat, the FIA arrested a facilitator of Sohail Shakeel, another suspect in the incident who was nabbed a day earlier from the city.
Authorities have made a number of arrests in Quetta and parts of Punjab after the Turbat incident.
On November 15, fifteen bodies were found in Buleda area of Turbat tehsil in Kech district of Balochistan. The bodies bore bullet wounds and were of people from different parts of Punjab, including Mandi Bahauddin, Gujranwala, Gujrat and Sialkot.
Two days later, five more bodies were found in the same tehsil at a short distance from the same spot.
The source claimed the investigation revealed that the suspects allegedly used two main methods to send people to Europe via Iran. They would send the victims to Iran and Iraq on a pilgrim visa from where they would be sent onto Turkey and then to Greece illegally by other operatives, he added. The other method used was to help people cross all borders from Iran to Greece illegally.
“When the cellphone of main accused Muhammad Husnain was thoroughly checked, the contacts of some agents were found through calls and WhatsApp, especially of the agent Zafar Meo who is a brother of Akhtar Meo, the main accused in Turbat tragedy,” the source said.