Italian police dismantle Algeria-to-Sardinia migrant smuggling network, arrest eight

On August 6, Italian police announced the arrest of eight Algerian nationals, among them an asylum-seeker based in Sardinia, for running a human-smuggling ring that shuttled migrants from the Algerian port of El Kala to the southern coast of Sardinia. The group used small boats to transport roughly a dozen people per crossing, charging up to €2,500 per passenger. Law-enforcement deployed around 100 officers in the “Phantom” operation, which also uncovered plans to acquire faster vessels and to extend activities into drug trafficking.

Investigators linked the network to contacts in Algeria and France, the latter being the source of its main financier. Authorities allege the ring produced forged documents and provided logistical support for arrivals, which primarily originated from Algeria and Tunisia. The eight detainees now face charges of criminal association for facilitating illegal migration and document forgery.