Three Pakistani girls were recovered and 14 more Chinese nationals were arrested Wednesday as the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell of FIA conducted raids in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
The latest raids were part of the ongoing crackdown on the gangs involved in fake marriages with Pakistani girls for trafficking them to China allegedly for organ removal and sexual exploitation.
Quoting FIA sources, Dawn reported that the suspects wanted to smuggle the girls abroad under the pretence of marriages and weapons for the first time were also recovered from the Chinese nationals.
The latest arrests are in addition to 17 Chinese detained in Islamabad, Lahore and Faisalabad. There are reports that over 90 Pakistani women, many of them belonging to less-privileged Christian families, have already been trafficked after being trapped into fake marriages.
The series of arrests come a week after Human Rights Watch said Pakistan should be alarmed by recent reports of trafficking of women and girls to China. It said the allegations were disturbingly similar to the pattern of trafficking of "brides" to China from at least five other Asian countries.
The Chinese embassy in Islamabad has also raised the alarm over illegal, cross-border matchmaking services that are often a front for human trafficking.
Last month, it issued a statement, condemning reports of the existence of bureaus orchestrating illegal marriages.
"China is working together with the Pakistani government and law enforcement agencies to track these illegal marriage centres," the statement said.
The latest raids were part of the ongoing crackdown on the gangs involved in fake marriages with Pakistani girls for trafficking them to China allegedly for organ removal and sexual exploitation.
Quoting FIA sources, Dawn reported that the suspects wanted to smuggle the girls abroad under the pretence of marriages and weapons for the first time were also recovered from the Chinese nationals.
The latest arrests are in addition to 17 Chinese detained in Islamabad, Lahore and Faisalabad. There are reports that over 90 Pakistani women, many of them belonging to less-privileged Christian families, have already been trafficked after being trapped into fake marriages.
The series of arrests come a week after Human Rights Watch said Pakistan should be alarmed by recent reports of trafficking of women and girls to China. It said the allegations were disturbingly similar to the pattern of trafficking of "brides" to China from at least five other Asian countries.
The Chinese embassy in Islamabad has also raised the alarm over illegal, cross-border matchmaking services that are often a front for human trafficking.
Last month, it issued a statement, condemning reports of the existence of bureaus orchestrating illegal marriages.
"China is working together with the Pakistani government and law enforcement agencies to track these illegal marriage centres," the statement said.