257 Arrested for Attempting Illegal Sea Travel to Iran in December 2025

ISLAMABAD: Law enforcement agencies arrested 257 individuals in December 2025 for attempting to travel illegally to Iran through sea routes, officials said.
The arrests were made during security operations along Pakistan’s coastal belt, particularly in the Gwadar and Jiwani areas, where suspects were trying to cross into Iran using unauthorized maritime routes.
Officials confirmed that 34 foreign nationals were among those arrested, including 30 Afghan citizens, two Bangladeshis, and two Iranians. The remaining suspects were Pakistani nationals belonging to various regions of the country.
Initial details show that 142 suspects hailed from Punjab, 63 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 12 from Sindh, while others belonged to different districts of Balochistan.
Preliminary investigations revealed that many suspects intended to use Iran as a transit route to travel illegally to other countries. Cases have been registered against all arrested individuals, and further investigations are ongoing.
Authorities said the crackdown against human smuggling networks and illegal border crossings will continue, adding that all available resources are being used to curb illegal migration via land and sea routes.