Italian authorities detained eight suspects Thursday, dismantling a transnational criminal ring accused of smuggling migrants across the Mediterranean.
More than 100 officers executed targeted raids in Cagliari, severing a dark corridor linking Algeria, Sardinia, and France.
An Algerian asylum seeker allegedly orchestrated the shadowy operation, coordinating perilous sea voyages, recruiting vessel captains, and managing illicit payments.
Desperate travelers paid roughly €2,500 each to navigate the dangerous waters from Algeria’s coast to the shores of Italy.
The illicit syndicate also manufactured forged asylum documentation, peddling false hopes and fraudulent papers for approximately €150 each.
Investigators revealed the group harbored even broader criminal ambitions, plotting to move massive shipments of cocaine and hashish using speedboats.