January 20, 2025
By Rehan Piracha
LAHORE
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has made a significant breakthrough in the Morocco boat tragedy case by arresting a key suspect linked to the incident.
On January 2, a boat carrying 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis, departed from Mauritania for Spain’s Canary Islands. Tragically, the vessel never reached its destination and instead docked at Morocco’s Dakhla port on January 16, after drifting at sea for nearly two weeks. At least 44 Pakistani migrants are presumed dead due to drowning or alleged torture. Moroccan authorities rescued 36 individuals and recovered 10 bodies. The Foreign Office (FO) has confirmed the identities of 21 Pakistani survivors rescued in Morocco.
Handler extorted Rs 5.35m from survivor’s family
The FIA arrested Muhammad Ansar, a human trafficker implicated in the tragedy. According to FIA officials, Ansar, along with his accomplices, attempted to illegally send Amir Ali, one of the survivors, to Spain. The suspect first arranged for Amir Ali’s travel to Mauritania, from where he was smuggled with other victims toward the Canary Islands.
The FIA revealed that Ansar extorted Rs5.35 million from Amir Ali’s family to facilitate the journey. A case has been registered against him, and investigations are underway. The suspect, apprehended in Gujranwala, is expected to provide leads on his accomplices, leading to further arrests.
8 human traffickers placed on ‘stop list’
FIA sources have confirmed that eight human traffickers involved in arranging travel for the Morocco boat victims have been added to the ‘stop list’ to prevent their departure from the country. These traffickers hail from Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, and Mandi Bahauddin.
Additionally, the FIA has written to relevant authorities to block the suspects’ bank accounts, identity cards, and passports. Abdul Qadir Qamar, Director of FIA Gujranwala Zone, stated that the agency is actively engaging with the victims’ families and is committed to bringing the traffickers to justice.
21 survivors’ nationalities confirmed
On January 19, the Foreign Office disclosed the identities of the 21 Pakistani survivors who reached Dakhla, a coastal city in Western Morocco. The survivors are Muddassir Hussain, 31; Waseem Khalid, 36; Muhammad Khaliq, 45; Abdul Ghaffar, 24; Gul Shameer, 21; Tanveer Ahmed, 32; Syed Muhammad Abbas Kazmi, 26; Ghulam Mustafa, 20; Syed Badar Mohyud din, 35; Imran Iqbal, 34; Shoaib Zafar, 35; Ali Hassan, 23; Syed Mehtabul Hassan, 19; Uzair Basharat, 27; Mohammad Asif, 49; Mujahid Ali, 31; Amir Ali, 21; Mohammad Umar Farooqie, 20; Bilawal Iqbal, 26; Arsalan, 22; and Irfan Ahmad, 40.
“The embassy’s consular team is present in Dakhla to oversee relief efforts and coordinate with local authorities,” the FO said. It added that the Pakistani government is working closely with Moroccan officials to support affected citizens and finalize repatriation procedures.
Verification of deceased underway
Rabia Kasuri, Pakistan’s acting ambassador to Morocco, reported that the 21 survivors are receiving urgent medical assistance as well as food, clothing, and other necessities, provided by the Pakistani Embassy and Moroccan authorities.
“The embassy staff in Dakhla and Rabat are working tirelessly to facilitate the rescued Pakistanis,” Kasuri told Voicepk. She added that the process of verifying the deceased Pakistanis’ identities is ongoing, and a list will be issued once verification is complete.
Probe team in Morocco
A high-ranking Pakistani delegation, led by Additional Secretary Interior Salman Chaudhary, has been dispatched to Morocco to investigate the incident, as directed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The team includes Additional DG FIA (North) Muneer Maarth and officials from the Foreign Office and Intelligence Bureau.
The Prime Minister has sought a detailed report on the tragedy and directed stringent action against human traffickers. According to Walking Borders, a record 10,457 migrants lost their lives last year attempting to reach Spain, with many perishing on the West Africa-to-Canary Islands route.
This tragedy follows a similar incident in which over 80 Pakistanis died when a boat capsized near Greece. Subsequently, the FIA took action against over 30 officials accused of colluding with human smugglers to facilitate illegal migration.