Tracking a smuggler behind tragic Atlantic migrant voyage

After 14 agonizing time lost at sea, a immigrant boat was saved off the coast of North Africa in January. On the tour, about 50 people died, many of whom were fabricated by persons smugglers who claimed safe and legal routes to Europe. One of the smugglers has been tracked down by BBC Verify and tracked him throughout three countries.

A picture of three men eating a beachside restaurant in Nouakchott, Mauritania’s money, features Punjabi music music. After each other, they both smile and laugh aloud before unintentionally talking and laughing up.

It is obvious that the three are companions. Sufian Ali and Atif Shahzad, both of whom are relatives of remote Pakistan, are relatives.

But the next man in particular predominates in the discussion. Fadi Gujjar, a criminal, is who he is.

One of the more than 450 clips examined by BBC Verify that provides insight into Gujjar’s activities and his close connection with the other men is posted to his TikTok account.

Ali and Shahzad were killed within a quarter of the film being posted online, beaten to death on the boat they were given by Gujjar, who had promised a secure passage into Europe.

Gujjar was later discovered hiding out in Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency ( FIA ) for his role in the tragedy.

Gujjar claimed regularly in a series of voicemails that his name had been “misused” by individuals in connection with the crisis and that he was leaving it all in Allah when BBC Verify reached him on a phone number obtained from individuals.

Fadi Gujjar hails from the Punjab place of Pakistan’s Jaurah. His true name is Khawar Hassan, but he also goes by Bishi Gujjar, in his 30s.

Muslim smugglers who have recently been covered by the BBC have a tendency to boastfully advertise improper routes to Europe online.

Gujjar, however, is cautious. Nearly all of the people Jaurah has been contacted by BBC Verify are nearby Jaurah residents, and his website presence is restricted to very edited videos of his travels. His companies ‘ advertisements appear to spread through word of mouth.

Istanbul, Turkey, where he is currently based on Facebook, is where he is currently based, an sanctuary for pirates looking to make a quick buck. Since July 2022, he has been spotted in the area thanks to videos that have been posted to TikTok that have captured him posing outside the world-famous Hagia Sophia and a Muslim supermarket.

One more place stands out: Mauritania on West Africa’s Atlantic coast, where the migratory boat started its risky journey and where the nerve-centre of his activity is.

According to the International Organization for Migration ( IOM), Mauritania has become a hub for people smuggling because of a crackdown on other routes since 2023.

The method is dangerous. According to IOM files, 170 people have died or vanished this year, including 14 children.

Some Citizens are willing to take the chance and look for financial options in Europe. Migrants who now reside on the continent glorify their lives there online. Gujjar, a smugglers whose attractive business is fueled by people’s aspirations, profit from this.

These workers are taking a chance, using the money they have saved up or selling up to travel. The survivors we spoke to, on average, say they paid Gujjar$ 13, 000 ( £10, 000 ).

Some of the workers transited through Ethiopia or the Middle East because there are no direct flights from Pakistan to Mauritania. Nearly all of them then traveled to Senegal, where they first crossed both by street or by boat along the Senegal River.

According to Gujjar’s go history, which was obtained by BBC Verify from a source, the smuggler travelled on two separate occasions in 2024, entering Dakar airport in Senegal.

He is also pictured in the Mauritanian funds Nouakchott from October 2024 in several videos, though the upload date may be different from the day they were captured.

Additional videos uploaded to TikTok by Ali and Shahzad area Gujjar in Mauritania as early as August 2024. The group can be seen on the buildings of Nouakchott’s sand-colored buildings and in nearby restaurants, which another immigrants couldn’t afford.

The males were nearer, coming from the same town, according to their accounts. Ahsan Shahzad Chaudhry, their brother, confirmed to BBC Verify that Sufian Ali, their brother, was a Gujjar friend.

Uzair Dal, a survivor, claimed that Gujjar erroneously provided him with safe and legal routes to Europe. He provided BBC Verify with proof of funds being transferred to a bank account run by Khawar Hassan, Gujjar’s true name.

However, when Uzair arrived in Mauritania, the criminal turned around.

” He said using air does not operate from here. I’ll take you by a large ship, Uzair said. ” Choose cooperate, your visa to Europe didn’t pass.”

Uzair finally gave in.

In addition to Ali, Shahzad, and Uzair, BBC Verify uncovered two additional immigrant individuals who purchased flights from Gujjar.

They claim that when they arrived in Nouakchott, they were placed in” healthy houses,” which are structures hidden in secret alleys where pirates detained workers without their consent.

One broker claimed that he also stayed in Gujjar’s safe houses.

One was located in an area close to the port of Nouakchott, which survivors claim Gujjar would often visit, according to BBC Verify.

Individuals who spoke to BBC Verify claim that they set off from Nouakchott in a small fishing boat shortly on January 2. The majority of those on board purchased tickets from traffickers in their Pakistani communities.

However, after three days, the trip turned into a dangerous two-week sea voyage.

According to Uzair, the migrants “were frequently scooping water out of the boat” from the day they left the dock. Bilalwal Iqbal, a different man, recalls that people quickly “drank ocean waters and people became delirious” after drinking it.

The crew on board, West Africans employed by the pirates, starved the Muslim refugees of food and water, and beat them everyday, claim the victims.

I tried to take one of their jugs of water, but they hit me on the mind with a cord, and the effects only made me fall back, Iqbal told BBC Verify. Then they hammered my hands with a nail. Those scars are still on me.

Their brother claimed that Sufian Ali and Atif Shahzad passed away after being brutally murdered by the team. Individuals had given him information about the circumstances surrounding their murders.

People passed away from malnutrition, dehydration, and cold.

The team and the survivors had given up until they saw a little bigger fish vehicle come into view. Uzair Bhat jumped into the sea in search of support and swam towards it.

The vessel was given the order to travel 60 miles to Dakhla port, where the migratory vessel was staying. 15 body have already been discovered ashore, while 35 others have been missing and are reportedly dead, according to the IOM.

Gujjar is one of ten traffickers who has been identified by Pakistani authorities as a contributor to the tragedy. Some people have been detained, but no Gujjar.

Although we cannot say for sure if he is still there, BBC Verify geolocated his most new TikTok content to Baku, Azerbaijan.

His family and one of his sons have been detained in Pakistan since the rescue announcement, where they are accused of obtaining money from people who purchase pathways to Europe on Gujjar’s representative.

Additionally, the families of the ship passengers have filed six officers reports in Punjab with BBC Verify. According to them, Gujjar allegedly collected$ 56, 000 ( £ 56, 000 ) for his part in the disaster in January. According to the police reports, three persons paid in full, and the other three simply made payments, according to the police reports.

After the boat accident in January, we think Gujjar was also facilitating travel to Europe.

Gujjar claimed he “knew people” who may help arrange a trip but did not directly sell to getting involved himself when an underground News reporter called in March using a phone number obtained from individuals.

Dilay Yaçin, Javed Sumroo, and Joshua Cheetham provided further monitoring.