BAHAWALPUR: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) claimed to have foiled an attempt to smuggle 48 people to Iran and Iraq and arrested two human traffickers during a raid on a bus on Multan-Sukkur Motorway-5 at Jhangra Interchange near Uch Sharif, about 70kms from Bahawalpur.

According to a press release issued by the FIA Bahawalpur Composite Circle, the traffickers, identified as Fazal Muhammad Bhatti and Shoaib Raza, were arrested along with all the intending immigrants who were being illegally smuggled abroad.

It said following a tip-off about an organised human smuggling gang transporting intending migrants to Iraq and Iran, an FIA special team conducted a raid on April 24 near Uch Sharif.

The bus, traveling from Lahore to Karachi, was intercepted during the operation.

It said two traffickers, Fazal Muhammad Bhatti, a resident of Lodhran, and Shoaib Raza, were escorting 48 intending illegal migrants, including 10 women and four minor children, who were offloaded from the vehicle.

The smugglers allegedly intended to send the individuals to Iran and Iraq via Karachi and Balochistan and had reportedly received around Rs 8.3 million from them.

The FIA team also recovered 17 passports, several mobile phones, and other important travel documents during the operation. The accused and the recovered material were shifted to the FIA office, and several cases have been registered against them in Multan.