Pakistani woman's body returned home after death in Saudi prison

The body of a Pakistani woman who died while serving a 25-year prison sentence in Saudi Arabia has been returned home, authorities said.

She had been convicted in a drug trafficking case linked to a fraudulent Umrah travel scheme.

Who was the Pakistani woman who died in a Saudi prison?

Anwar Bibi, a resident of Jaranwala in Faisalabad district, was brought back to Pakistan on Aug. 5.

She had been arrested in Saudi Arabia roughly two years earlier along with four other Pakistanis, according to officials and reports.

How did the group end up arrested in Saudi Arabia?

The five were allegedly recruited with promises of a free Umrah pilgrimage. They travelled to Saudi Arabia after being given gifts and other items in which drugs were allegedly concealed without their knowledge, according to reports.

They were cleared at Islamabad airport before departing for Saudi Arabia. They were arrested upon arrival at Jeddah airport after drugs were reportedly found during a search of their luggage.

What happened after their arrest in Saudi Arabia?

A Saudi court subsequently convicted the five Pakistanis and sentenced each of them to 25 years in prison. Anwar died recently while serving her sentence in a Saudi jail.

Her body was then repatriated to Pakistan and handed over to her family in Jaranwala.

Have any arrests been made in Pakistan over the case?

The Federal Investigation Agency's Faisalabad Zone has arrested three suspects allegedly involved in the case, authorities said.

The arrests come as Pakistani authorities investigate allegations that the five victims were deceived into transporting drugs to Saudi Arabia under the guise of travelling for Umrah.