On Monday, the Sobol Al-Salam Brigade affiliated to the Libyan National Army (LNA) seized six trucks which were smuggling fuel and goods to neighbouring countries.
In a statement published on the Brigade’s Facebook account, it was said that two of the seized trucks were loaded with smuggled fuel; three others were loaded with tobacco, while the last one was loaded with goods and some equipment that is used for gold exploration.
The statement included pictures of the trucks after the arrest of their owners.
The military has intensified the desert patrols to combat smuggling of all kinds to secure the border regions, per orders from the district commander, Major General Balqasam Laba’g, and directives of the General Command of the Libyan National Army to tighten border security, the statement said.
Libya is split between the government in Tripoli and the Tobruk-based authorities.
The country has become a preferred point of departure for migrants and smugglers who attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea towards European shores due to the insecurity and chaos that have plagued Libya since the fall and death of its former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.