INTERPOL arrests 262 human trafficking suspects, others
An international crackdown on organised criminal networks involved in migrant smuggling along the Mediterranean Sea and West African Atlantic routes has resulted in the arrest of 262 suspects and the launch of 434 investigations.
The four-day operation, which took place from October 5 to 8, 2026, also led to the identification of 109 suspected victims of human trafficking and the interception of 1,715 irregular migrants across participating countries.
The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) announced the results in a statement published on its website on Tuesday.
According to the agency, 221 of those arrested were suspected of involvement in migrant smuggling, 16 were accused of human trafficking, while the remaining 25 faced allegations of other offences, including the production and use of forged documents.
Code-named Operation Communis Maris, the exercise brought together law enforcement and border security agencies from 16 countries across North and West Africa, southern Europe and the Middle East.
INTERPOL said the operation was aimed at dismantling organised criminal networks, identifying smugglers, rescuing vulnerable migrants and ensuring that those responsible were brought to justice. It was led by the organisation, with operational support from Europol, Frontex, AFRIPOL, the International Organisation for Migration and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
During the exercise, 7,660 officers screened more than 378,000 people, monitored identified hotspots and intensified security checks at strategic locations.
The agency also deployed personnel to an Operational Coordination Unit in Athens, Greece, to support intelligence sharing and coordinate activities among participating countries.
Additionally, 210,594 searches were conducted through INTERPOL databases to help authorities identify suspects and gather relevant criminal intelligence.
INTERPOL’s Director of Organised and Emerging Crime, David Caunter, said the operation was crucial in tackling criminal groups that exploit vulnerable migrants and expose them to dangerous journeys.
He noted that the Mediterranean Sea remains one of the world’s deadliest migration routes, claiming thousands of lives every year. According to him, smugglers subject migrants to abuse, extortion and trafficking while transporting them in overcrowded and unsafe vessels.
Mr Caunter stressed that INTERPOL plays a critical role in promoting cross-border cooperation to identify criminals, dismantle their networks and save lives.
Details of operations across participating countries
INTERPOL reported that Moroccan authorities intercepted a boat carrying 70 prospective migrants, including 30 minors, who had been at sea for six days.
In a separate incident, Senegalese authorities alerted neighbouring countries after a wooden vessel left the country’s territorial waters. Mauritanian officials intercepted the boat the following day, rescuing 80 passengers, including two children, and arresting three suspected organisers.
In Tunisia, security operatives disrupted an attempted illegal sea crossing and arrested three people suspected of organising migrant smuggling. Authorities also seized a boat, a marine engine and other equipment.
The agency further disclosed that participating countries identified 41 organised criminal groups suspected of involvement in migrant smuggling during the operation.
In Libya, authorities rescued 34 potential victims of human trafficking and arrested three suspects allegedly connected to a criminal network involved in trafficking, migrant smuggling and extortion.
Meanwhile, Algerian law enforcement officers arrested six people suspected of belonging to a migrant-smuggling network. The suspects also faced allegations of endangering minors.
In Syria, coordinated maritime patrols and surveillance operations led to a raid on a facility believed to have been used by migrant smugglers. Seven suspects, including the alleged leader of the network, were arrested, while 22 irregular migrants were intercepted.
INTERPOL added that the crackdown extended beyond maritime routes, with authorities increasing security checks at airports and targeting the use of fraudulent travel documents by criminal networks.
Security officials in Cyprus and Greece arrested suspects over attempts to travel using forged documents. In Morocco, authorities also apprehended an individual suspected of supplying counterfeit passports and recruiting people for irregular migration.
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