GUJRAT: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) claims to have arrested at least 109 human traffickers during the month of October across the Gujranwala region.

The immigration authorities have also offloaded at least 116 passengers including beggars at Sialkot International Airport for being suspected of using illegal travel documents as well as other reasons during that period.

A senior official of FIA said around 206 cases of human trafficking had also been lodged and the challans of 119 cases of human trafficking were submitted to the court after completion of investigation.

Out of the arrested human traffickers, he said 27 were the fugitives who had been wanted to FIA in different cases lodged against them.

At least three outlaws wanted to Sialkot district police were also arrested by the immigration authorities at the Sialkot airport who were attempting to flee the country and later handed over to the respective police.

A spokesman for FIA said the passports, fake visas and illegal nationality cards of various European, African and Asian countries were confiscated from 33 passengers at the airport during the last month.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2024