The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has dismantled a human trafficking operation at Karachi Airport, revealing an Indian plot to facilitate illegal migration to Europe.

In a statement, the agency said that four suspects were apprehended, including Hasib Ahmed, Qaiser Ahmed, Usman Ali, and their agent, Abdul Shakur.

Authorities discovered evidence on Shakur’s mobile phone, linking him to an Indian associate. The Indian agent, identified as Gautam Sharma, “had plans to transport the suspects from Azerbaijan to Poland.”

The trafficker charged a staggering “Rs1.4 million per person, with the suspects having already paid an advance of Rs250,000.”

Following their arrest, the suspects were transferred to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit in Karachi for further investigation.

The FIA reported that over 10,000 Pakistani citizens attempting to illegally migrate abroad have been arrested in Iran this year. From January 1 to December 15, 10,454 Pakistani nationals were apprehended in Iran.

Such individuals entered Iran through unconventional routes in Balochistan. Pakistani authorities stated that after their arrests at various times, the Iranian government handed them over to Pakistan at the border town of Taftan in the Chagai district.

For a long time, not only Pakistanis but also Afghan nationals have been trying to reach European countries through Balochistan in search of better futures. But a significant number of such individuals end up getting arrested in Iran.

FIA officials noted that in 2024, the rate of arrests in Iran was higher compared to 2023, during which 8,272 Pakistani citizens were detained. According to statistics, more than 62,000 Pakistanis have been arrested in Iran for illegal entry from 2020 to 2024.

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Most of the arrested Pakistani citizens hail from Punjab. Five districts in Balochistan, including Chagai, Washuk, Panjgar, Kech, and Gwadar, share borders with Iran.

In addition to people from various regions of Pakistan, individuals from Afghanistan also reach such districts, where human traffickers take them to Iran and then onward to Greece via Turkey.

Officials have indicated that in the past, a large number of people entered Iran from Kech and Gwadar; however, due to militant attacks, most now enter through Chagai and Washak.