GUJRANWALA, Sep 12: As many as 24,000 Pakistanis were deported by European countries, Iran, Turkey and gulf states last year and 80 per cent of them belong to Gujranwala region comprising six districts.

FIA director general Tariq Pervaiz told newsmen here on Tuesday that human traffickers had earned Rs5 billion from their victims. “Now they are using African countries to smuggle people to European countries.”

Most of the human smugglers, he added, belonged to Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat and Kharian.

Pervaiz said 80 Pakistanis had been detained by agents in Male who were demanding ransom for their release. “But we are trying to free them without paying ransom,” the DG said.

He said in its recent raids FIA had arrested two of the most-wanted smugglers, Muhammad Naeem and Haji Safdar.

To a question, the DG said his agency was facing shortage of staff, vehicles and other equipment to fight human smuggling. “We have requested for the construction of jails and police stations at Multan and Faisalabad.”

He said FIA was planning to organise seminars and walks in the country, especially in Gujranwala, to create awareness among people against illegal immigration.

HOUSE LOOTED: Dacoits looted the house of a landlord at Saidnagar Alipur Chattha on Tuesday.

Reports said about nine outlaws entered the house of Muhammad Irshad Dogar by scaling the boundary walls. They held hostage the inmates and made off with a cash of Rs50,000, 25-tola gold jewellery, two mobile phones, a licenced rifle and a motorcycle (JAV-9895).

They manhandled Irshad’s son Imran Elahi on offering resistance.

Alipur Chattha police are investigating.

OVERCHARGING: Over 50 shopkeepers were caught red-handed by a joint raiding party of the district administration and police while overcharging here on Tuesday.

Reports said a squad, led by district price magistrate Muhammad Zubair Nat, raided various shops in the city and checked rate lists which had not been displayed. Instead, the traders were found involved in overcharging.

The magistrate fined them totalling Rs60,000.

Meanwhile, DCO Manzer Hayat warned the shopkeepers that they should follow the government’s fixed rates, otherwise strict action would be taken against them.