The Joint Security Room in Benghazi has announced the successful freeing of a group of migrant workers, who were kidnapped by a Bangladeshi criminal gang.
The Room consists of members of the Libyan Interior Ministry of the Parliament-designated government, and the Libyan National Army (LNA). It did not disclose the location and timing of the raid on the gang. It released a video showing security members carrying out the operation in Benghazi.
According to the Room, the operation was initiated following a complaint filed to the General Administration of Security Operations by their employer.
“Upon receiving instructions from the General Command of the LNA to conduct investigations and gather information, a dedicated team was immediately assigned to the case. After pinpointing their whereabouts, a security force from the General Administration of Security Operations was deployed to raid the location,” the statement said.
“The abducted workers were found in captivity, bound and blindfolded. Following their freeing, they were taken to the headquarters of the administration, and investigations into the incident are currently ongoing,” the statement added.
This operation is part of the ongoing extensive security campaigns, carried out under the directives of the LNA’s Commander-in-Chief, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
Italy has seen an unprecedented surge in its migrant influx during 2023. Recent statistics from the Interior Ministry revealed that, in the first seven months, 89,158 undocumented migrants have made their way to Italy. This is a dramatic escalation, registering a 115.18% increase compared to the corresponding period last year.
Reports from the Italian news agency, Nova emphasised the diverse origins of these migrants. Tunisia stands out as the foremost source, with 54,693 migrants, which translates to 61.34% of the total migrant count. Trailing not far behind is Libya, from where 30,075 migrants or 33.7% of the total, embarked on the perilous journey to Italy.
Another alarming revelation from the data is the influx of unaccompanied foreign minors. This year saw 10,285 such young migrants, a jump of 83.5% from 2022’s figure of 5,605.