ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested two proclaimed offenders involved in severe transnational crimes, including a key suspect linked to the tragic 2024 Greece boat disaster, a spokesperson for the agency said on Monday.
An operation, conducted by the FIA’s Anti-Human Smuggling Circle, Gujranwala, resulted in the apprehension of the two individuals wanted for migrant smuggling via sea routes, illegal border crossing and visa fraud.
Among those arrested is Khadim Hussain Raja, who was allegedly centrally involved in the fatal Greece boat accident. Raja was wanted by the FIA in two separate cases concerning human trafficking.
Raja also extorted Rs6.5 million from a complainant on the pretext of sending their son and a relative to Spain. The accused first sent the victims to Mauritania, where they were reportedly subjected to torture to extract additional money. Subsequently, he boarded them onto a boat destined for Spain, which disastrously met with an accident.
In a separate operation, the FIA arrested Muhammad Javed Iqbal, who had been evading authorities since 2019. Iqbal was wanted for deceiving a citizen by promising to send him to Uganda, extorting Rs260,000 from him. Further investigation is underway.
