An Egyptian man suspected of organizing the smuggling of thousands of people aboard “death traps” from Libya and North Africa into Italy has been arrested in London, British police said on Friday.
The 40-year-old was detained in west London near Heathrow Airport, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said, after an investigation involving Italian police.
The NCA has not released the identity of the Egyptian man.
It said the man was linked to a number of illegal Mediterranean crossings in the past year, including from Libya, and was working from a UK base with criminal associates.
Three of the crossings required rescues by the Italian Coast Guard for vessels in distress. Each of which was carrying more than 600 people, the UK agency said.
“The type of boats organized crime groups use for crossings are death traps, and sadly many people have died after incidents in the Mediterranean, which demonstrates the level of danger,” senior NCA officer, Darren Barr said.
“We will continue to share intelligence and take action with partners to prevent crossings and arrest people smugglers here and overseas,” he added.
The arrest comes after nine Egyptians were arrested in Greece earlier this week, in connection with a migrant boat disaster that killed at least 82 people. Many others are presumed dead at sea.
The Italy-bound boat is believed to have departed from Tobruk, in eastern Libya. The Italian Coast Guard first alerted Greek authorities and Frontex about the approaching vessel.
According to a recent report from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Libya registered the highest number of migrant fatalities on terrestrial routes across North Africa in 2022.
This troubling statistic underscores the perilous journey many migrants undertake, with Libya’s position as a significant transit country toward Europe adding to the risk.
In western Libya, authorities have raided migrant hubs in the capital, Tripoli, and other towns over the past few weeks. At least 1,800 migrants were detained and taken to government-run detention centers, according to the UN refugee agency.
