Key suspect arrested in 2023 Greece boat tragedy that killed over 250 Pakistanis

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested Mohammad Iqbal, the main suspect behind the deadly 2023 boat capsize off Greece that claimed the lives of over 250 Pakistanis. The suspect was apprehended upon his arrival at Lahore airport on Monday.

The tragedy occurred in June 2023 when an overcrowded vessel, carrying hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, capsized and sank in international waters near the Greek coastal town of Pylos.

The disaster was one of the deadliest boat tragedies ever recorded in the Mediterranean, highlighting the dangerous and often deadly journeys undertaken by migrants seeking better financial opportunities in Europe.

The FIA said Iqbal, a resident of Libya since 2013, was involved in running a human trafficking network, illegally sending Pakistani citizens to Europe via boats.

The agency traced illegal transactions worth Rs80 million ($287,356) from his bank account. He has been booked in multiple cases registered with the FIA Lahore zone.

“The suspect was running a human trafficking network from Libya,” the FIA said in a statement. “He illegally sent several Pakistani citizens to Europe from Libya via boats.”

FIA Lahore Director Sarfraz Virk emphasised that the agency’s crackdown on human trafficking networks was ongoing. “Strict punishment will be meted out to human traffickers responsible for boat incidents,” Virk said. “FIA teams are in constant contact with the affected families.”

In addition, last month, the FIA issued red notices for 20 foreign-based human traffickers involved in the Greek boat tragedy. A red notice is a request from INTERPOL member states to locate and arrest individuals for extradition.

The Greek tragedy is part of a broader issue of migrants from Pakistan, many driven by economic hardship, risking their lives in perilous crossings to Europe.

In December 2023, five Pakistani nationals died in a shipwreck off Greece’s Gavdos island. More recently, a boat capsized near Morocco’s coast on January 15, carrying 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis. The Foreign Office confirmed that 22 survivors were found.