Libyan authorities have detained 18 undocumented migrants of Bangladeshi nationality in the city of Al-Bayda, as they were preparing for an attempted illegal sea crossing toward Europe.
According to a statement issued by the Illegal Migration Control Department, the migrants were found without identification documents and were in the final stages of arrangements to be smuggled via the Mediterranean, in what are often referred to as dangerous “death boats.”
Raid Targets Migrant Assembly Point
The operation followed intelligence received by the Desert Patrols Office in the Green Mountain region, indicating that a group of irregular migrants had gathered inside an apartment in Al-Bayda.
Authorities said the apartment was being used as a temporary holding and coordination site to prepare migrants for illegal migration journeys toward European shores.
Security forces immediately formed a patrol unit, moved to the location, and carried out a raid on the premises, successfully detaining all individuals present.
Officials confirmed that all necessary legal procedures have been initiated, and investigations are ongoing. The migrants are expected to be transferred to the Al-Bayda shelter centre in accordance with jurisdictional procedures.
The operation forms part of Libya’s ongoing efforts to combat human smuggling networks and curb irregular migration routes across the Mediterranean, one of the world’s most dangerous migration corridors.
Authorities continue to intensify surveillance and field operations to dismantle trafficking networks and prevent further attempts at illegal crossings.