Italy: Police arrest 17 alleged migrant smugglers

Police has arrested 17 people in several Italian cities. They are accused of smuggling migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and Libya through Italy to other European countries, mostly France, for over EUR1,000 per person. Police in the city of Catania on the Italian island of Sicily have dismantled what they claim is a transnational organization that smuggled migrants from sub-Saharan Africa through Italy to other parts of the European Union, mainly France.

The operation led to the arrest of 17 non-EU nationals in several Italian cities. They stand accused of criminal association for the purpose of aiding and abetting clandestine migration. All of them held regular permits of stay for Italy.

A total of 25 arrest warrants had been issued but eight of those under investigation were abroad and one warrant was not validated. Most of the suspects are from Guinea and Ivory Coast.

Police: Smugglers recruited in Sub-Saharan countries of origin, Libya, Italy

The police operation that led to the arrests was called 'Landaya' (which police said means 'trust' in Mandingo, a language spoken by the Mandinka people of Guinea and other nearby areas). It involved not just Catania police, but also officers in the Italian towns of Asti, Cuneo, Genoa, La Spezia, Pavia, Rimini, Savona and Turin.

Investigators said they found three 'cells' of the organization in Italy, all in the northwest of the country: one based in the city of Turin, and two in the region of Liguria -- one of them in the town of Ventimiglia, along the border with France. The organization contacted the migrants they allegedly smuggled in their countries of origin as well as in Libyan detention centers and Italian reception facilities.

Each migrant allegedly paid over EUR1,000

Investigators claim that the members of the organization worked to gain the trust (hence the name of the operation) of the migrants and demanded over EUR1,000 for a complete package to get them to their destination. Police also said that there had been cases of sexual abuse perpetrated by the suspects, but did not disclose any details.

The investigation into the alleged smuggling ring was carried out over a two-year period, according to investigators.

It reportedly began after a foreign unaccompanied minor managed to reach France after landing in the Augusta port of Sicily in the Siracusa province on January 25, 2021.