Italian authorities arrest Pakistani nationals for migrant trafficking and labor exploitation

Italian authorities have arrested several Pakistani nationals involved in migrant trafficking and illegal labor exploitation. In Amendolara, Cosenza, a 27-year-old Pakistani man was detained by the Castrovillari Tribunal on charges of illegal intermediation, caporalato, and extortion. Investigators allege he managed a group that provided housing and transport for migrants in exchange for payment. While not directly accused of the Amendolara massacre—where four workers were burned alive in a van—the man is the brother of a suspect already in custody for that crime.

In a separate but related crackdown on human smuggling, the State Police arrested three Pakistani citizens following a request from Pakistani judicial authorities for extradition. The investigation revealed a criminal network that facilitated illegal migration from Pakistan through Libya to reach Italy and Greece. This syndicate is allegedly linked to two major shipwrecks in 2023, including a fatal incident off the coast of Pylos, Greece.