Authorities in eastern Libya have dismantled a human trafficking network and freed 47 Egyptian migrants who had been kidnapped, tortured, and extorted, amid growing concerns over a rising surge in irregular migration flows toward Europe.
Security officials told Asharq Al-Awsat that the number of migrants attempting to cross through Libya “has sharply increased in recent months,” despite intensified operations targeting kidnapping gangs and expanded deportation efforts. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said many migrants continue to risk imprisonment, abuse, or drowning in their attempts to reach Europe by sea, urging countries of origin to act to prevent more people from reaching Libya’s borders.
Kidnapping and trafficking of migrants is a recurring crime in Libya, with security agencies in both the east and west regularly announcing raids on criminal groups and the rescue of victims held in degrading conditions.
Ajdabiya Police Free Egyptian Hostages
Ajdabiya Security Directorate said on Sunday that its officers carried out a “high-risk operation” that led to the rescue of 47 Egyptian nationals held in conditions that violated basic human dignity.
The case came to light when one victim escaped from the gang and reached a police station, reporting that dozens of Egyptians were being held in an old house. According to the directorate, the man appeared terrified as he recounted how Egyptian and Libyan traffickers had promised to smuggle him to Italy in exchange for money but instead abducted and tortured him along with others.
Police raided the first hideout, arresting a 30-year-old Egyptian gang member and rescuing 14 captives held in “inhumane and degrading conditions.” The detainee confessed that the network included Libyans and Egyptians involved in torture, extortion, and sheltering irregular migrants. He also revealed another hideout linked to the same gang.
The second location—a small, windowless garage—contained 33 Egyptians in “dire health and psychological condition,” suffering from malnutrition and severe mistreatment. Authorities confirmed that the gang’s leader is a Libyan national sentenced to death.
Human Trafficking Networks Still Active
In western Libya, Sabratha Security Directorate said it raided another trafficking hub after tracking a suspect. Police found several migrants and seized a newly built boat prepared for smuggling operations. Both the migrants and the vessel were handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department for further action.
Meanwhile, Libya’s Attorney General, al-Siddiq al-Sour, announced the launch of a criminal case against a separate trafficking network. Investigations revealed that two arrested suspects admitted to importing 200 boats used repeatedly to smuggle migrants since 2023.
The Ministry of Interior’s Special Tasks Department discovered the boats inside 59 shipping containers at Misrata Port, leading prosecutors to order the suspects’ pretrial detention and issue arrest warrants for other members of the network.
In September, prosecutors dismantled another network operating a workshop in Misrata to manufacture boats intended for smuggling migrants to Europe. Police raids uncovered six completed vessels, 12 more under construction, and led to the arrest of 10 people involved in the operation.