Pakistani security forces have apprehended 104 Afghan nationals during two targeted operations across Balochistan province, disrupting a human smuggling attempt aimed at facilitating unauthorized transit into Iran and European destinations.
According to security officials and local media reports, the twin anti-smuggling operations were conducted in the Dasht and Turbat sectors of Kech district—a known transit route for irregular regional migration. Authorities confirmed that the detained individuals, including women and children, were using Pakistan as an intermediate transit corridor to reach neighboring Iran before attempting onward journeys to Europe through illegal human-trafficking networks.
The apprehended individuals were transferred to local police facilities for legal processing and documentation following initial screening procedures. The operation comes amid intensified security surveillance along unmonitored border tracks in southern Balochistan, where law enforcement agencies have expanded intelligence-based operations to neutralize human-trafficking rings and secure international transit zones.
The arrests highlight ongoing irregular migration flows driven by economic stagnation, high unemployment, and severe civil restrictions in Afghanistan. Human rights observers note that despite heightened border controls and deportation directives targeting undocumented foreign nationals, thousands of Afghans continue to seek transit through regional land routes.