Greek shipwreck: 8 survivors paid Rs18.7m to ‘human smugglers’

• Amounts paid to smugglers by relatives, says consular immigration.
• People kept in large warehouses in Libya by Pakistani agent, says brother.
• Asif Suniyara, brother well-known to most survivors, families.

LAHORE: Eight of the 12 survivors of the tragic shipwreck off the coast of Greece paid Rs18.7 million to human smugglers to go to Italy, a statement issued by the Pakistani embassy in Athens revealed.

According to the report submitted by Consular Immigration Safiullah Jokhio, these amounts were paid to the human smugglers by the survivors’ fathers, brothers, and relatives.

The report further stated that survivor Adnan Bashir, son of Muhammad Bashir, resident of Bandli, tehsil Kharata, district Kotli [AJK], paid Rs2.2 million to an agent to go to Italy.

Haseebur Rahman, son of Habibur Rahman, a resident of Syedpur, tehsil Kharata, district Kotli [AJK], gave Rs2.2 million to an agent of his own village Talat Kayani, and Sajid Warraich of Mandi Bahauddin.

Hamza, son of Abdul Ghafoor of Chak Nazim Gujranwala, paid Rs2.4 million to agents Nadeem Aslam of Gujranwala and Asif Suniyara of Gujrat.

Azmat Khan paid Rs2.4 million to agents in Gujrat, including Mian Irfan, Haji Zulfiqar, and Asif Suniyara.

Muhammad Sani, son of Farooq Ahmad, paid Rs2.5 million to two agents, Riyasat of Muridke and Asif Suniyara of Prince Chowk Gujrat.

Rana Husnain, son of Rana Naseer Ahmad, paid Rs2.3 million to three agents, including Rana Naqqash of Jamke Cheema, tehsil Daska, Riyasat of Gujranwala and Asif Suniyara of Gujrat, for going to Italy.

Usman Siddique, son of Muhammad Siddique, paid Rs2.4 million to agent Shafqat of Kot Baila Gujrat.

Also, Zeeshan Sarwar, son of Muhammad Sarwar, paid Rs2.3 million through his brother, to the same agent, Shafqat of Kot Baila Gujrat, for going abroad illegally.

The report said that human smugglers sent most people from Pakistan to Benghazi (Libya) by air from different airports. At the same time, many were transported there by land routes from Turkey, Iran and Syria.

According to the report, in those countries, these people were kept in large warehouses run by Pakistani agent Asif Suniyara and his brother, apart from the local human traffickers.

Asif Suniyara and his brother are well-known to most people who went to Italy and their families.

FIA investigation

Expanding the scope of its investigation into the incident, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has formed teams in major cities, including Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

The decision was made during a meeting held with FIA Director General Mohsin Hassan Butt at the agency’s headquarters, according to a statement issued by the FIA.

Chairing the meeting, the FIA DG directed to complete the investigations against the human traffickers in connection with the Greece shipwreck at the earliest.

“To prevent such incidents in the future, a meeting of the FIA’s inter-agency task force has also been called tomorrow in which an effective strategy will be chalked out,” read the statement. 

In addition to this, three inquiries and six FIRs have been lodged against more than 20 human traffickers so far, read the statement. 

Meanwhile, it added that five human smugglers have also been arrested from Gujrat, Gujranwala and Lahore.

“Elements involved in heinous crimes like human trafficking deserve no leniency,” asserted the DG.