Iran on Friday handed 19,000 Pakistanis arrested for crossing the common border illegally in the current year.
Pakistan Today further quoted an unnamed security official with Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency as saying that the arrested persons had entered neighboring Iran through unmanned routes scattered along the 900-kilometer border.
The Pakistani citizens had entered Iran to reach Greece and other European countries in search of a better life.
The official said a large number of migrants belonged to Mandi Bahauddin, Gujarat, Sialkot and other areas of Punjab Province. He said that only a handful of them were able to reach Europe while the others were arrested soon after crossing into Iran.
He further said Iran had constructed a 64-kilometer wall to stop free cross border movement of people, adding that human smugglers instead used less-travelled routes in Mashkail, Mand-Bilo Turbat and Panjgoor to enter the country.
The official revealed that FIA had formed a special team, comprised of five senior officials, to initiate action against migrants who wanted to cross into Iran. The team was given these orders after Levies officials found 15 bullet-riddled bodies in Kech earlier this week.
Investigations later revealed that the victims were en route to Iran in order to travel further to Europe.
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