Four more bodies found, death toll in Greece shipwreck rises to 9: FIA
Web Desk
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1 Jan 2025
The number of Pakistanis confirmed dead in the Greek shipwreck last month has risen to nine, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) reported on Wednesday.
At least nine migrants drowned when their wooden boat, carrying many Pakistanis, capsized off Greece's southern island of Gavdos. Witnesses believe that many others are missing as the search and rescue operation continues.
The FIA stated that the coastguard had found four more bodies of migrants, three of them identified as Shabbir, Zain Ali, and Zeeshan, belonging to Narowal, while Owais Ali hailed from Sialkot.
For the time being, the dead bodies were shifted to a local hospital in Greec. Meanwhile Pakistan's embassy carried out arrangements to send bodies to the country.
According to the authorities, the process of repatriating the dead bodies will take at least a week.
The incident occurred on December 13, leaving several missing, while only nine bodies were found in the two-week-long operation. The incident prompted the authorities in Pakistan to initiate a crackdown against agents who sent Pakistanis to Europe via illegal route.
However, on the instruction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the agency took departmental action against at least 31 officials found involved in these illegal practices, while another four suspects linked to human trafficking were arrested.
Previously, an FIA spokesperson had said they apprehended the accused, Saleem Akhtar, a resident of Gujarat, who is reportedly involved in sending Pakistanis to Europe through illegal means.
"The suspect was a key member of a notorious international gang involved in the harrowing business of human trafficking," said the spokesperson, adding, “He has taken Rs2.8 million from deceased, Rehman Ali, on the pretext of sending him abroad.”
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