Pakistani authorities have arrested Yasser Mahmood, one of the country’s most wanted human traffickers, in connection with a tragic boat accident off Libya’s coast. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) confirmed his capture on Monday, describing him as a high-profile suspect involved in over five human smuggling cases in 2023.
Local media reports revealed that Mahmood charged around $9,000 per person to facilitate illegal migration to Europe. His operations reportedly transported migrants through Egypt and Dubai to Libya under harsh conditions, leading to fatalities during dangerous sea crossings to Italy.
In May, a Pakistani government report highlighted a surge in irregular migration routes from Dubai to Libya, which then lead to European shores. The report noted that migrants often travelled via Dubai to Egypt or Libya. In the first half of 2023, around 13,000 Pakistanis departed for these destinations—double the figure recorded in 2022. Alarmingly, 10,000 of these individuals remain unaccounted for.
Despite Pakistan implementing anti-human smuggling legislation in 2018, these measures have driven migrants toward more perilous border crossings.
In 2022, the FIA dismantled six human trafficking networks smuggling migrants from Libya’s coast to Europe. These efforts followed investigations into the deaths of several Pakistanis when a migrant boat sank en route from Libya to Italy.
Authorities continue to combat human trafficking networks exploiting vulnerable individuals for financial gain, often with tragic consequences.
