The United States on Thursday announced USD 2 million rewards for information regarding Pakistani national and "human smuggler" Abid Ali Khan - one million USD for information leading to the arrest and another one million USD for information leading to the financial disruption of his network.
US State Department spokesperson said that Ali Khan allegedly operates a Pakistani-based smuggling network that facilitates the travel of undocumented individuals into the United States from the middle-east and southwest Asia in exchange for payment.
In addition to planning and coordinating the international travel from Pakistan through multiple countries, Ali Khan allegedly offered or provided false documents for foreign nationals to use for travel.
"Today, the Department of State is announcing two rewards for information regarding Pakistani national and human smuggler Abid Ali Khan. The first reward of up to $1 million is offered for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Ali Khan, while a second $1 million reward is offered for information leading to the financial disruption of Ali Khan's human smuggling network," the spokesperson said in a statement.
It said smuggling organizations like Ali Khan's take advantage of vulnerable populations, pose high risk, and gravely endanger the individuals being smuggled.
"Persons smuggled to the United States are often subject to perilous travel through South and Central America, which can involve many days of walking through difficult terrain with little food or water, with many falling victim to robbery and abuse during the journey."
On April 7, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed a federal indictment filed in the Eastern District of Virginia charging Ali Khan with Conspiracy to Encourage and Induce an Alien to Unlawfully Enter the United States, Encouraging and Inducing an Alien to Unlawfully Entering the United States, and Bringing an Alien to the United States.
On the same date, the Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions against Ali Khan and the Ali Khan Transnational Criminal Organization pursuant to Executive Order 13581 "Blocking Property of Transnational Criminal Organizations," stemming from the same criminal conduct.
The statement said these rewards are offered under the Department of State's Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP).
More than 75 transnational criminals and major narcotics traffickers have been brought to justice under the TOCRP and the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP) since 1986, with the Department paying more than $135 million in rewards to date.
The State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs manages the TOCRP in close coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, DHS/Homeland Security Investigations, and other U.S. government agencies.
( With inputs from ANI )
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