SIALKOT: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested Usman Jajja, the prime suspect in last year’s Greece boat tragedy, which resulted in the deaths of at least 40 Pakistani nationals.
The arrest was made in Sialkot following a targeted operation launched on the directives of the Federal Interior Minister.
According to the FIA’s Gujranwala Circle, Jajja is an alleged ringleader of an international human trafficking network and had been on the run since the Greece disaster. He is accused of orchestrating illegal boat journeys to Europe and extorting millions of rupees from desperate migrants under the false promise of safe passage.
A spokesperson for the FIA confirmed that Jajja was wanted in more than eight cases registered with the agency’s Composite Circle in Gujranwala. He had reportedly been hiding in Gilgit-Baltistan after securing bail in an unrelated case and frequently moved between locations to evade arrest. He was apprehended in Sialkot during a special operation.
Jajja’s arrest marks a major breakthrough in the investigation into the Greece boat tragedy, which occurred on 14 December 2024. An overcrowded vessel carrying 175 irregular migrants, including a significant number of Pakistanis, capsized off the coast of Greece. According to a report by Pakistan’s Embassy in Athens, at least 40 Pakistani nationals died in the disaster. Three separate vessels were reported to have capsized in Greek territorial waters around the same time, with a majority of the victims being Pakistani.
One of the boats was carrying 83 passengers, including 76 Pakistanis, three Bangladeshis, two Egyptians and two Sudanese nationals. Of the 39 survivors rescued from this vessel, 36 were Pakistanis.
Despite repeated tragedies, human smuggling syndicates continue to operate, exploiting the economic hardships of vulnerable individuals in Pakistan. The government has vowed to intensify its crackdown on such networks.
In a parallel development, FIA officials also confirmed the arrest of another alleged member of the so-called ‘Jajja network’. Rashid Jajja, a resident of Muridky Jajja village in Pasrur tehsil, Sialkot, was apprehended in connection with cases 1108/204 and 1132/24. These cases were registered under sections 17 and 22 of the Emigration Ordinance 1979 and sections 3 and 6 of the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act 2018.
Authorities allege that Rashid Jajja, in collaboration with his brother Asif Jajja, extorted Rs4.93 million from two individuals—Nadeem Ahmed and Qasim Ali—under the pretext of arranging their travel to Italy via Libya. Instead, the men were forced onto the doomed vessel headed for Greece. Both victims were rescued by Greek authorities and later returned to Pakistan, where they filed a formal complaint against the traffickers.
Further investigations are underway, and FIA teams are conducting raids to apprehend more individuals linked to the network.
Director FIA Gujranwala Zone Abdul Qadir Qamar stated that a nationwide crackdown is underway against human traffickers. “No one will be allowed to play with innocent lives,” he said, emphasising the agency’s commitment to dismantling smuggling syndicates.
The crackdown follows directives from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who ordered a comprehensive operation against human smuggling networks and complicit FIA officials. So far, 35 FIA personnel have been dismissed from service, and former FIA Director General Ahmad Ishaq Jahangir was removed for delays in investigating illegal migration cases.
Meanwhile, the FIA’s Immigration Wing detained a passenger arriving at Sialkot Airport from Iraq using suspicious travel documents. During the clearance process for Flight G9-552, officials discovered that Muzammal Hussain, a resident of Gujranwala holding passport number ZZ6904971, had pages 11/12 removed and pages 25/26 torn.
On interrogation, Hussain confessed to handing over his passport to an agent named Qasim, from Wazirabad, along with USD 750 for ticketing services. The agent returned the altered passport and flight ticket after a few days.
Hussain was subsequently handed over to the FIA Gujranwala Circle’s Anti-Human Trafficking Cell for further legal proceedings.
Despite the horrors of the Greece boat tragedy, illegal migration continues to tempt vulnerable individuals seeking better economic opportunities abroad. Another deadly incident occurred in January 2025 when a boat carrying irregular migrants from Mauritania to Spain capsized, resulting in at least 50 deaths, including 44 Pakistanis. Thirty-six were rescued, but many remain missing and are presumed dead.
In a bid to discourage such perilous journeys, Lahore’s Jamia Naeemia has issued a fatwa declaring illegal migration a violation of state laws and Shariah.
The FIA has reiterated its commitment to cracking down on human trafficking networks and protecting innocent lives from exploitation.
