An international operation targeting organized criminal networks involved in migrant smuggling across the Mediterranean Sea and the West African Atlantic route has led to the arrest of 262 suspects and the opening of 434 investigations.
Punch reports the operation was conducted between October 5 and 8, 2026. It also identified 109 potential victims of human trafficking and intercepted 1,715 irregular migrants across participating countries.
The International Criminal Police Organization disclosed this in a statement published on its website on Tuesday.
It said 221 of those arrested were suspected of migrant smuggling, 16 were accused of human trafficking, while 25 others were apprehended over offences including the production and use of fraudulent documents.
The four-day exercise, code-named Operation Communis Maris, involved law enforcement and border management agencies from 10 countries across North and West Africa, southern Europe and the Middle East.
During the operation, 7,660 officers screened more than 378,000 people, monitored identified hotspots and strengthened security checks at strategic locations.
