The Pakistani Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is set to launch an investigation into a human trafficking ring based in Libya, following the tragic deaths of a group of migrants who were attempting to reach Europe by boat.
According to a report in Dawn, the FIA will examine the cases of at least 40 victims of the trafficking ring, and will seek to identify those responsible for sending them to Libya.
The investigation comes after the arrest of two more suspects in Pakistan, who are believed to have been involved in sending migrants abroad illegally. The suspects were arrested in connection with the boat tragedy off the coast of Greece, in which several migrants lost their lives.
An FIA official told Dawn that the cases of at least 40 victims had yet to be filed, as their next of kin had been reluctant to share details of their travel history, and the agents involved. However, the families had provided DNA samples to the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA), at a two-day camp held last month.
The authorities ordered an inquiry into the cases, in order to ascertain the details of the victims through their air travel history. As well as to obtain information about the traffickers involved in sending them to Libya, for onward transport to Italy.
The official added that a case might be lodged against the human traffickers involved in the scam, based on the findings of the inquiry report.
The number of suspects arrested in the crackdown now stands at 41, with cases already lodged against both suspects at the FIA police station.
At least five more cases have been lodged with local FIA police stations, against human traffickers, bringing the total number of such cases to 130.
The DNA samples of at least 120 people belonging to the families of the victims have been collected.