The tragedy occurred in January 2025 when a ship carrying around 80 passengers left Mauritania for Spain’s Canary Islands but capsized near Dakhla in Western Sahara. At least 13 Pakistanis died, while 21 survived the ordeal.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) identified the suspect as Qasid Ali, listed in its Red Book of Most Wanted Human Traffickers. He was arrested in Gujranwala, and multiple cases are already registered against him.

According to the FIA, Ali was a key part of an international human trafficking network. He reportedly extorted hundreds of thousands of rupees from people by promising illegal passage to Europe and sent them instead to Africa under harsh conditions.

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Victims in Mauritania suffered torture, forced labor, and inhumane treatment. They were then misled with false promises of being transported to Spain, after which all contact was cut off.

The FIA said Ali now faces serious charges, including human trafficking, extortion, forced labor, fraud, and causing deaths of migrants. Authorities stressed their zero-tolerance policy toward such criminal networks.