Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested 14 people, including an Iranian national, during operations targeting illegal border crossings near the southwestern coastal town of Jiwani in Balochistan.
The arrests were made as part of ongoing efforts by the FIA to crack down on human smuggling along Pakistan’s border with Iran, amid growing security concerns in the volatile border province. The agency revealed that nine of the detainees were attempting to cross into Iran by sea, while the remaining five were apprehended for illegally entering Pakistan.
FIA Composite Circle Gwadar conducted raids resulting in the arrest of 14 suspects, an official FIA statement said. “Among those arrested, three were from Gujranwala, three from Mandi Bahauddin, four from Sanghar, and three from Sheikhupura.”
The crackdown follows recent FIA operations in which 84 people were detained over illegal attempts to cross into Iran by sea. The Pakistani government has tightened overland travel restrictions to Iran this year amid escalating security concerns in Balochistan, which borders Iran’s restive Sistan-Baluchistan region.
Authorities have linked increased human smuggling activity to several tragic incidents, including deadly boat disasters off Greece in mid-2023 and late 2024, as well as maritime accidents near Morocco and Libya earlier this year.
On the Iranian side, security agencies have also intensified actions against undocumented individuals due to fears of espionage and militant infiltration, especially in Sistan-Baluchistan amid Tehran’s ongoing military tensions with Israel.
The FIA confirmed that those arrested were reportedly planning to travel onward from Iran to other countries illegally. Legal cases have been registered against the suspects, with further investigations underway.
