LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Thursday busted another human smuggling cell and arrested 11 Chinese nationals and two Pakistanis from Lahore’s Johar Town as it continued its crackdown against human trafficking.
According to FIA, the suspects pretended to be Muslims while marriage bureau agents would take commissions from Chinese and then have them married to Pakistani girls. The girls were then sent to China after marriage. A girl rescued by the FIA told the authorities they were threatened with having their organs removed.
Earlier this week, the FIA arrested fifteen Chinese nationals including a woman from Rawalpindi accused of trafficking Pakistani girls to China. The gang was led by a Chinese national Song Chuaoyang who was also arrested.
Two Pakistani girls were recovered from the accused. A Christian and two Muslims girls were earlier sent back to their parents by the FIA authorities.
On Monday, FIA busted a racket of Chinese nationals involved in trafficking Pakistani girls to China by contracting marriages.
Deputy Director FIA Jamil Ahmad Khan Mayo said authorities, as part of a crackdown against foreigners involved in illegal activities in the country, arrested eight Chinese nationals from Lahore airport and other areas on the charges of trafficking young women to China after marrying them.
According to the official, the suspects, with the assistance of Pakistani agents, contracted marriages with unsuspecting local girls and then trafficked them to China where the victims were forced into prostitution.
They said the suspected leader of the ring is the son of a Punjab Police officer, who had fled when a raid was conducted for his arrest. The officials said the suspected ring leader has acquired interim bail until May 13.
