Photo courtesy of Anadolu
Italian police arrested eight people on Thursday for allegedly taking part in a cross-border smuggling network that moved migrants from Algeria to Italy and onward to France.
Authorities said more than 100 officers joined the operation in Cagliari, Sardinia, with several police units deployed to apprehend the suspects.
Investigators alleged that the group organized sea crossings from Algeria to Sardinia and arranged the transport of migrants through an established route linking El Kala, Cagliari and Marseille.
Police said an Algerian asylum seeker living near Cagliari was suspected of coordinating the operation, including the recruitment of migrants and boat crews and the collection of payments.
At least five clandestine crossings from Algeria to Sardinia were documented during the investigation, according to authorities.
The group was also accused of producing and selling falsified asylum-related documents for about €150 each to help migrants stay in or move across Italy illegally.
Investigators estimated that migrants paid around €2,500 each for passage to Italy.
Police also uncovered an alleged plan to transport about 500 kilograms of hashish and 10 kilograms of cocaine from Spain using high-speed inflatable boats, but said the shipment was never carried out.