Interpol handovers list of 52 human traffickers to Pakistan

Islamabad, Jan 6 (UNI) The International Police (Interpol) has handed over a list of 52 suspected human traffickers to Pakistan and investigators have found 17 of them involved in the act.

The Daily Times quoted Interior Ministry officials as saying that Pakistan had informed the Interpol that the 17 suspected human traffickers are dual nationality holders and will be put on trial.

The government has absolved the remaining 35 suspects, saying that these men were not involved in human trafficking.

The sources said the Interior Ministry had traced the record of the 17 suspects wanted by the Interpol, which had confirmed their involvement in various trafficking-related cases in Pakistan.

They said the suspects were holding dual nationalities of Britain, the United States and Italy and belonged to Gujranwala, Karachi and some areas in interior Sindh.

Suspects were wanted for human trafficking, camel jockeying and smuggling of Bangladeshi girls to Arab and Gulf states for prostitution.

Interpol had told the Pakistani authorities that the suspected human traffickers were also involved in sending innocent jobseekers abroad on forged documents.

''The intelligence agencies have found that most of these suspects have been running their illegal business with the blessings of some top Sindhi politicians,'' said the sources.

The sources said the Interior Ministry had also prepared a report on the means being used by human traffickers under the pretext of cultural troupes, tour operators and employment promoters.

They added that the report also pointed out air, sea and land routes being used for human trafficking. These include Pakistan-Iran-Turkey route, Pakistan-Dubai sea route and Pakistan- China-Almaty air route.

Pakistani nationals were being sent to Italy and other European countries on forged documents via Dubai and the Czech Republic.

Previously, the human traffickers used to provide legal travel documents and valid visas to aspirant Pakistani visitors to European and Gulf states, but the Pakistan Foreign Office has now issued stern directions to all Pakistani missions abroad to keep a close eye on Pakistani citizens who come to register their complaints regarding 'missing' passports or other travel documents.

''These missions have also been asked to verify the travel documents from the Interior Ministry immediately after receiving complaints regarding the missing documents before issuing new ones to the applicants,'' the sources added.

UNI