Eight Chinese nationals, including a woman, were arrested on Monday for allegedly being involved in trafficking Pakistani girls to China by contracting marriage and forcing them in flesh trade there, the country's premier probe agency said.
Last week, the Federal Investigating Agency (FIA) had arrested two Chinese nationals when the marriage ceremony was being performed in Fasialabad, about 150 kms from Lahore.
"On Monday, we have arrested seven Chinese men and a Chinese woman for their alleged involvement in trafficking of Pakistani girls to China for the purpose of prostitution," FIA Punjab Director Tariq Rustam told PTI.
The FIA came into action following reports of Chinese nationals being involved in organ trade and forced prostitution of Pakistani girls, mostly from the minority Christian community, after marrying them and taking them back to China.
So far, 10 Chinese men have been arrested.
Rustam said that their leader, indentified as 'Candice', was among those arrested. He had been living near the Lahore airport for the last one year.
"The girls were moved to the rented houses acquired by the Chinese in Lahore where they were taught Chinese language before they leaving for China after completion of their marriage related documents," he said, adding the girls were forced into prostitution in China.
"We are collecting the data of the girls trafficked to China during the last couple of years. Their number may run into hundreds," he said, adding that we are interrogating the arrested Chinese nationals and hopefully arrest all those involved in the crime.
The Government has recently ordered the FIA to take action against the gangs involved in smuggling of Pakistani girls to China on the pretext of contracting marriage.
According to the local media reports, poor Christians girls, are lured, with money and promises of 'good life', by the illegal matchmaking centres to marry Chinese men who are either visiting or working in Pakistan.
These centres produce fake documents of Chinese men showing them either as Christians or Muslims. Most of the girls reportedly became victims of human trafficking and forced into prostitution.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)