A special court in Gujranwala has sentenced two human smugglers to 22 years imprisonment each in connection with the 2023 Libya boat tragedy case, in which two youths from Gujranwala lost their lives while attempting to reach Europe illegally.
According to officials, the verdict was announced by the court of the Special Judge Central-II Gujranwala under the Immigration Ordinance 1979 and Section 6 of the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act (PSMA) 2018.
The convicted men, identified as Muhammad Aslam and Muhammad Nadeem, were found guilty of defrauding a citizen by receiving Rs6.2 million on the promise of sending his two sons to Italy through illegal channels.
Officials said both young men later died in the 2023 Libya boat accident during the dangerous journey arranged by the traffickers.
The court, after completion of the trial and examination of evidence, sentenced both accused to a combined prison term of 22 years each and also imposed fines of Rs1.4 million on each convict.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said its crackdown against human smugglers in the Gujranwala region was continuing and vowed to take strict action against networks involved in illegal human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
The FIA Gujranwala Zone reiterated its commitment to dismantling organised smuggling groups exploiting citizens through false promises of overseas employment and illegal migration routes.