Italian police announced on Wednesday April 26 the dismantling of a network of migrant smugglers, mainly to France, with the arrest of 17 people, mostly from French-speaking Africa.
This dismantled group of smugglers brought “
hundreds of people
” from Africa to the European country of their choice, “
especially France
”, Francesco Messina, a senior Italian police official, told the press.
"Operational cells in Africa"
"
The police (...) arrested eleven citizens from Côte d'Ivoire, one from Mali, four from Guinea and one from Burkina Faso (...) on suspicion of criminal association aimed at promoting illegal immigration
" , specifies for its part a press release from the police.
These people, all residents of Italy, were linked to other "
operational cells in Africa (Libya, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Tunisia and Morocco)
", adds the Italian police.
The prices varied from 200 to 1200 euros for the various stages of the journey of migrants (men, women or newborns) wishing to leave Africa to go to France, most often by train or car, "more rarely
through mountain trails
,” according to the same source.
Some women have also had to resolve to "
offer sexual services
" to smugglers, which demonstrates "
the extreme vulnerability of female migrants
", denounced the Italian police.
As part of this investigation, the justice of the peninsula issued eight other arrest warrants against Ivorian and Guinean citizens but which could not be executed, the latter not being on Italian territory.
