Italian police in various
operations as of Monday have stopped a total of 18 people
suspected of human trafficking, two of whom are accused of
manslaughter.
Operations began last Saturday in Palermo, following the
landing of the Italian Navy ship Dattilo carrying 717 immigrants
rescued last Thursday in international waters, including the
bodies of 12 immigrants who died during the crossing due to
overcrowding.
On Saturday evening, police arrested two men suspected to
be responsible for those deaths, with the charge of
manslaughter.
In the days that followed, Palermo police have stopped nine
other suspected traffickers based on immigrant testimony.
Meanwhile on Monday, police in Ragusa stopped three
suspected migrant traffickers who piloted two boats - one
carrying 52 immigrants and the other carrying 92 - that docked
in Pozzallo last Friday.
Also on Monday, police in Siracusa stopped four other
suspected migrant traffickers who they say piloted an Egyptian
fishing boat carrying 150 immigrants that was intercepted 120
miles east of Augusta, after having departed from Alessandria on
July 2.
The Italian Coast Guard rescued those 150 immigrants, who
said they had each paid between 1500 and 2000 dollars for the
trip from Egypt, and brought them to the port of Augusta in
Sicily on two motorboats.
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