Italian authorities announced on Tuesday that they had broken up a migrant smuggling operation, resulting in the arrest of 15 Egyptians across multiple countries. The group allegedly used sailboats to ferry migrants on perilous illegal journeys from Turkey to Greece and Italy.
The network, orchestrated by an Egyptian mastermind based in Istanbul, is said to have smuggled at least 3,000 migrants into Italy since 2021, raking in over $30 million by charging each person $10,000, according to an Italian police statement.
The arrests were carried out simultaneously in collaboration with police forces from Albania, Germany, Turkey, and Oman, under the coordination of Sicily’s anti-mafia prosecutors and with support from Interpol and Europol.
Police revealed that the operation relied on a structured system: professional Egyptian skippers were recruited, logistical support was provided in Turkey while migrants awaited departure, and sailboats—typically 12-15 meters long—were used to transport dozens of people at a time. These vessels, departing from Turkish ports like Bodrum, Izmir, and Marmari, often lacked life-saving equipment, making the week-long crossings especially hazardous.
The Mediterranean has claimed tens of thousands of migrant lives in recent years, with the Turkey-to-Italy route gaining infamy after a tragic shipwreck off Cutro, southern Italy, in February 2023, where at least 94 people perished in one of the deadliest incidents of the ongoing crisis.