Acting on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s directives, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has begun seizing properties of individuals involved in human trafficking under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) 2010. The move targets those implicated in recent human smuggling cases, including suspects already in FIA custody.
According to media reports, initial actions are focused on traffickers linked to the December 2024 Greece boat tragedy, which claimed the lives of at least 40 Pakistanis. Properties linked to suspects in the June 2023 Libya boat tragedy are also under scrutiny.
The Anti-Money Laundering Act allows investigation officers to recommend property seizures to the anti-money laundering cell, which can proceed with a magistrate’s approval.Â
Properties are being confiscated in Sialkot, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, and Gujranwala, as many traffickers are based in these Central Punjab towns. Notable targets include the Jajja network in Sialkot’s Pasrur tehsil and alleged trafficker Ashraf Saleemi of Mandi Bahauddin’s Hellan village.
The FIA has arrested two more suspects connected to the Greece tragedy. Among them is the alleged prime suspect, Imran Shakoor, from Bhaddar village in Kharian tehsil, Gujrat, apprehended after the arrest of his accomplice, Zain Ali, in Hafizabad.Â
Another suspect, Zafar Iqbal from Mandi Bahauddin, was arrested for extorting Rs700,000 to arrange illegal travel to Italy.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed authorities to expedite prosecutions, appoint top legal experts, and collaborate with the Foreign Office to facilitate the extradition of Pakistanis running trafficking operations abroad.
