ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said on Saturday it had arrested four suspected human smugglers in the eastern Punjab province, including a man accused of fleecing a victim of Rs13.9 million ($50,000) by promising a fake work visa for New Zealand.

Pakistan has tightened its crackdown on illegal immigration and human smuggling in recent years after a series of deadly boat tragedies involving its citizens attempting to reach Europe.

Last year in July, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the government was targeting organized criminal networks and urging the public to use safe and legal pathways for overseas employment, warning that irregular migration routes were dangerous and violated national and international law.

“The FIA’s Lahore zone has continued its crackdown against a network of human smugglers, arresting three suspects, including two proclaimed offenders, for their alleged involvement in migrant smuggling and visa fraud,” said a statement.

It added that the suspects were arrested from Lahore and Okara.

“One suspect, Liaquat Ali, allegedly extracted Rs13.9 million from a citizen by falsely promising a New Zealand work visa,” the statement continued. “Another suspect, Naim, is accused of taking Rs2.5 million [$9,000] by offering a fake Canadian employment visa, while a third suspect, Muhammad Amanullah, allegedly swindled Rs300,000 [$1,100] from a citizen on the pretext of securing a Saudi Arabia job visa.”

Separately, the FIA’s Multan zone arrested a suspect from Dera Ghazi Khan for allegedly getting Rs220,000 ($790) from a victim, falsely promising employment in the Kingdom.

“The suspects have been arrested and an investigation has been launched,” the FIA said.