KARACHI: Pakistan Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday released a list of more than a hundred “most wanted” human smugglers in the country, amid an ongoing crackdown to curb the practice.
Out of a total 137 wanted criminal, the FIA said Punjab’s Gujranwala topped with 70 suspects, followed by Islamabad with 25, Lahore with 14 and Faisalabad with 13 suspect.
The FIA, which handles human trafficking, cybercrime, immigration violations, financial fraud, militancy and corruption, said its Red Book 2025 contains complete details of these most wanted human traffickers and migrant smugglers.
“This publication is a key step in strengthening efforts against human trafficking and migrant smuggling networks, and serves as an important resource for law enforcement, stakeholders, and the public,” the agency said.
The development comes amid a crackdown on agents involved in sending impoverished Pakistanis abroad through dangerous routes, luring them with a chance at a better life in Europe.
Last month, the FIA arrested five suspects involved in smuggling citizens to Iran and Turkiye, according to an FIA spokesman. Prior to that, it arrested five suspects in Gujranwala and Gujrat districts who were said to be involved in human smuggling and defrauding citizens.
A record 10,457 migrants, or 30 people a day, died trying to reach Spain in 2024. Most of them died while attempting to cross the Atlantic route from West African countries such as Mauritania and Senegal to the Canary Islands, according to Walking Borders.
In January, a boat, which set sail from Mauritania with 86 migrants on board, capsized near Morocco while attempting to travel illegally to Europe. Moroccan authorities said on Jan. 16 that 36 people were rescued from the vessel, while Pakistan confirmed survivors of the tragedy included 22 of its nationals.
In 2023, hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned when an overcrowded vessel sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek town of Pylos, marking one of the deadliest boat disasters ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea.
