Pakistan arrests four human traffickers linked to boat capsizing off Libya’s coast

BY Libyan Express Feb 04, 2018 - 20:36

The Pakistani Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) claimed on Sunday to have arrested four human smugglers linked to the recent capsizing of an immigrants’ boat in Libya in which several Pakistanis were killed.

FIA officials said the suspects were rounded up after raids were conducted in Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin and Gujranwala.

The Pakistani Foreign Office (FO) said on Saturday that 16 Pakistanis died in the boat sinking incident off the Libyan coast. A boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Zuwara, Libya early Friday, International Organization for Migration (IOM) spokesperson Olivia Headon confirmed to reporters in Geneva by phone from Tunis.

“At least 90 migrants are reported to have drowned when a boat capsized off the coast of Libya this morning”, the agency added in a statement.

FIA officials said Sunday that the human smugglers were connected with sending the recent victims to Libya.

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