ISLAMABAD – Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Ministry of Interior hasformed specialized teams to arrest absconding human traffickers inconcerned zones/anti-human trafficking cells.-

The field units submit regular monthly and weekly reports against humansmugglers to FIA Headquarters based on which an annual booklet of MostWanted Human Traffickers/Smugglers is compiled.

The names of smugglers are placed on Black List so that they are arrestedat immigration entry and exit points.

Official sources on Sunday said unfortunately, it is a fact that there area number of human trafficking groups working in Pakistan includingIslamabad.

Due to high rate of returns, it has taken a shape of lucrative illegalbusiness.

However, FIA has taken various steps against those illegal humantrafficking groups and smugglers in order to curb this menace.

The steps include: Two new laws (Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act,2018) and (Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act 2018) have been enactedand enforced.

A separate wing of Anti Human Smuggling has been established under aDirector whose sole responsibility is to stop such criminal activities. Thewing keeps in touch with all zones of FIA to monitor human smugglers.

Similarly, the sources said Integrated Border Management System (IBMS) hasbeen enforced at all FIA immigration check posts (entry/exit points).

Every year a special campaign is launched for arrest of humantraffickers/smugglers and reported in Red Book of Most Wanted HumanTraffickers (MWTs) by FIA.

The other step taken was installation of forgery detection machines atinternational airports, the sources said and added FIA also set up helplinefor complaints and support. The FIA also established Office in Oman to havea liaison with international counterparts/stake holders on bilateral,trilateral and quadrilateral basis. Different countries are members ofthese groups.

Inter-Agency task Force (IATF) has been established for regularinterceptions by various agencies to control and prevent human smuggling. -APP