Authorities in France have uncovered an unusual human smuggling operation that transported migrants from Libya to Europe by disguising them as crew members aboard a livestock transport vessel, according to InfoMigrants newspaper.
The case emerged following an investigation reported by the French newspaper Midi Libre, which revealed that a smuggling network operating between Libya, Syria, and the southern French port city of Sète had managed to move around 20 migrants into Europe over the past two years.
According to investigators, migrants were provided with forged passports and dressed in blue maritime uniforms to appear as legitimate crew members or sailors. They were then secretly transported aboard ships used to carry livestock across the Mediterranean Sea.
Once the vessels arrived in France, the migrants were reportedly disembarked at the port of Sète before travelling onward to other European countries, including Germany.
Authorities believe the operation charged migrants up to €22,000 each for the journey, making it one of the most expensive and unusual smuggling methods documented in recent years.
The smuggling network was dismantled in September last year by the French Office for Combating the Smuggling of Migrants, known as OLTIM. However, the case resurfaced in the media after one of the suspected organisers appeared before a court in Montpellier earlier this week.
The suspect, a Syrian national who had lived in Sète for nearly a decade, allegedly played a key role in coordinating the arrival of migrants and facilitating their entry into France.
Investigators say the man ran a car body repair workshop in Montpellier and may have financed some of the smuggling operations himself in order to recruit migrants to work at his business.
The suspect spent seven months in detention awaiting trial and requested release during his court hearing. Prosecutors opposed the request, and a judicial decision is expected later this month.
The case highlights evolving smuggling tactics used along migration routes from Libya across the Mediterranean toward Europe.