Libyan security forces have thwarted a major illegal migration attempt in the eastern city of Derna, arresting 80 irregular migrants and dismantling a clandestine boat-building site used by human smuggling networks.
According to official statements, the operation was carried out at around 5:00 a.m. on Thursday in the Ain Al-Ghazala area, following precise intelligence that revealed the existence of a facility used to manufacture and prepare what are commonly known as “death boats” for dangerous sea crossings to Europe.
The raid was launched from the Al-Tamimi area under direct orders from Major General Salah Mahmoud Al-Khafifi, head of the Illegal Migration Control Department, and supervised by the Director of the Derna branch, with the participation of Special Forces units (Saiqa) affiliated with the General Command of the Libyan Armed Forces.
During the operation, authorities arrested 80 migrants of Egyptian, Sudanese, and Bangladeshi nationalities who were preparing to depart by sea in an attempt to reach European shores through routes controlled by human trafficking networks.
Security forces also destroyed the entire boat-manufacturing facility and dismantled a vessel that was ready for immediate launch from the same site, in a move aimed at dealing a decisive blow to smuggling gangs and preventing the reuse of the location for similar criminal activities.
The Illegal Migration Control Department said the operation forms part of ongoing efforts to secure Libya’s coastline, combat irregular migration, and confront organized human trafficking groups that exploit vulnerable migrants and expose them to life-threatening journeys across the Mediterranean.
Officials stressed that pre-emptive security operations will continue in coordination with military and law-enforcement units to safeguard national security and protect human lives, reaffirming that Libya’s shores will not serve as a corridor for organized crime or a gateway to further humanitarian tragedies.