KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) successfully thwarted a human smuggling attempt at Karachi airport on Friday, apprehending four individuals linked to an Indian agent, according to reports.

FIA immigration officials detained a human trafficker and three passengers who were attempting to travel to Poland via Azerbaijan illegally. The suspects were identified as Haseeb Ahmed, Qaiser Ahmed, Usman Ali, and agent Abdul Shakoor.

According to the FIA spokesperson, crucial evidence recovered from the mobile phone of smuggler Abdul Shakoor revealed his connection to Indian agent Gautam Sharma, who was orchestrating the operation to send the suspects to Poland.

The detainees hailed from Faisalabad, Chiniot, Gujranwala, and Nankana Sahib. During interrogation, the passengers disclosed that they had struck a deal with Abdul Shakoor for Rs. 1.4 million each, paying Rs. 250,000 in advance. The trafficker had secured visas from Sangla Hill for the operation.

The apprehended individuals have been handed over to the FIA’s Anti-Human Trafficking Cell in Karachi for further investigation.

Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities to take stringent action against human traffickers within a week. Chairing a review meeting, the PM scrutinized a report by Mushtaq Sukhera, which was compiled after the tragic Greece boat capsizing incident in December 2024.

The prime minister emphasized the need for a more effective prosecution process against human traffickers and questioned why disciplinary actions had not been taken against government officials aiding such individuals.

“Why disciplinary action has not been taken against government officials who facilitate people involved in human trafficking?” the Prime Minister queried.