Tracking a smuggler behind a tragic journey of Atlantic migrants

In January, a migrant boat was rescued off the coast of North Africa after 14 painful days lost in the sea. About 50 people were killed in the journey, many of whom were lied to by smugglers promising safe and legal routes to Europe. BBC Verify followed one of the responsible traffickers – documents its operations on three continents.

Penjabi’s rap music plays over a video showing three men at a beach restaurant in Mauritan’s capital Nouakchott. One after the other, they smile at the camera before they casually turn to talk and laugh together.

The three are obviously friends. Two of them, Sufian Ali and Atif Shahzad, are cousins ​​from the village Pakistan.

But in particular, the third person dominates the conversation. He is Fadi Gujar, a smuggler of people.

The video – Posted in the Gujjar Tiktok account – is one of more than 450 clips analyzed by BBC, checking that they reveal clues about his activities and his close relationships with other men.

Within a month after this video was published online, Ali and Shahz were dead – beaten to the death of a boat trip sold to them by Gujar, who promised a safe route in Europe.

Gujar, meanwhile, ended up on the move, Searched by the Pakistan Federal Agency (FIA) For his role in the tragedy.

When the BBC checks it contacted it by a telephone number obtained from survivors, Gujar repeatedly said in a series of voice notes that his name was “abusive” by the survivors of the disaster and that he leaves everything in the hands of Allah.

Fadi Gujar is from Jaura in the Pakistan region in Punjab. In his 30s, his real name is Havar Hassan – although he also passed by Bishi Gujar.

Pakistani smugglers BBC has previously reported tend to boast of illegal routes to Europe online.

But Gujar is careful. His online presence is limited to highly edited videos of his trips, and almost all BBC customers check identified are local jaustry. Advertisements for his services seem to be distributed by mouth to mouth.

His current Facebook location is set to Istanbul, Turkey – an oasis for smugglers who want to make a fast dollar. The videos published in Tiktok have been put in the city since July 2022, showing smuggling in front of the emblematic Hagia of Sofia and a Pakistani supermarket.

Another place stands out: Mauritania on the Atlantic coast of West Africa – the nervous center of its operation and the place where the migrant boat began its dangerous journey.

Since 2023, the International Migration Organization (IOM) has said that Mauritania has become a center for smuggling of human being – encouraged by repression on other routes.

The route is deadly. IOM data shows that 170 people – including 14 children – have died or disappeared this year.

Many Pakistanis seeking economic opportunities in Europe are ready to take the risk. Life there is glorified online by migrants who already live on the continent. Smugglers like Gujar, whose lucrative business is fueled by people’s aspirations, benefit from it.

These migrants take gambling using their families’ savings or sell to make the trip. The survivors we talked to on average say they paid Gujar $ 13,000 (10,000 British pounds).

There are no direct flights from Pakistan to Mauritania, so some migrants pass through Ethiopia or the Middle East. From there, almost all went to Senegal before moving to Mauritania, or on the road, or a short boat trip along the Senegal River.

The history of Gujar’s trips – received by the BBC, checked through a source – showed that the smuggler followed a similar route, entering Dakar Airport in Senegal twice in 2024.

Many videos have also been staged in the Moorish capital Nouakchott since October 2024 – although the date of upload may differ when they were filmed.

More videos published in Tiktok by Ali and Shahzad Place Gujjar in Mauritania back in August 2024. The trio is visible on the roofs of Nouakchott’s sand -colored buildings and in the restaurants around the city – Lux that other migrants could not afford.

Videos from their accounts reveal that the men were close, welcoming from the same village. Their Uncle Ahsan Shahz Chatri confirmed that the BBC is checking that his nephew Sufian Ali is friends with Gujar.

A survivor named Uraer Bhatt said that Gujar had fallenly promised him safe and legal routes to Europe. He sent the BBC, checks proof of funds transferred to a bank account under the real name of Gujar, Khawar Hassan.

But when Uzier arrived in Mauritania, the smuggler retreated.

“He said the air would not work from here. I will send you from a big ship,” Wasir recalled. “Please collaborate, your visa (in Europe) will not pass.”

In the end, Uzair gave way.

Like Ali, Shahz and Uzier, the BBC checks identified two other migrants who buy trips from Gujar.

After arriving at the Nuakchot, they say they were placed in “safe houses” – a term used for buildings stored in unclear alleys where migrants are illegally behaved by smugglers.

One person who used a different agent said he also stayed in safe houses managed by Gujar.

The BBC was checking the location of one to an area near the Nuakchot port, which survivors say Gujar is visiting.

The survivors of BBC see that they have said they left Nouakchott in a small fishing boat in the early hours of January 2. Most of those on board bought a passage from smugglers in their home cities in Pakistan.

But the three -day excursion became a deadly two -week trip to the sea.

Uzier said that from the day they left the harbor, the migrants “constantly rise water from the boat.” Another man, Bilalal Ikbal, recalled that passengers soon began to “drink seawater and after drinking it, people became delicate.”

According to the surviving, the crew on board – Western Africans hired by smugglers – were starving Pakistani migrants from food and water and beat them daily.

“I tried to take one of their water bottles so they hit me on the head with a rope and the impact just made me fall back,” Ikbal told the BBC. “Then they rammed their thumbs with a hammer. I still have these wounds.”

Sufian Ali and Atiif Shahdz rear have died after being beaten to death by the crew, their uncle said. He was informed of the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

Others died of starvation, dehydration and hypothermia.

Those who were still alive, including the crew, had given up until they saw a much greater fishing vessel to look around. Uzier Bhat jumped into the ocean and floated toward him for help.

The coast guards instructed the ship to take the migrants’ boat to the port of Dahra – 60 miles. According to IOM 15 dead bodies were found on board, while 35 people remain missing in the sea and are supposed to be dead.

The Pakistani authorities have identified Gujar as one of the ten smugglers involved in the tragedy. Some have been arrested, but not Gujar.

The BBC is checking the geolocation of its latest Tiktok publications in Baku, Azerbaijan – although we can’t say for sure if he’s still there.

Ever since the news of saving, his mother and one of his brothers were broke in Pakistan, accused of raising money on behalf of Gujar by people buying routes in Europe.

BBC Verify also saw six police reports submitted to Punjab by the families of the boat trip. They claim that Gujar raised $ 75,000 (£ 56,000) for his role in the January disaster. Three people paid completely, while the other three paid only deposits, police said.

We believe that Gujar was still facilitating travel to Europe after the boat’s disaster in January.

Linked to a BBC undercover reporter in March, using a telephone number obtained from the survivors, Gujar said he “knows someone” who will help arrange a trip but did not suggest it directly to join alone.

Additional reporting from Dila Yaçin, Javed Sumroo and Joshua Cheetham.