A group of Egyptian citizens who were
allegedly members of an international criminal group trafficking
migrants from Libya to Europe publicized the journeys on
Arabic-language public social media accounts, said Milan police
who arrested 10 suspects on Wednesday.
Investigators said they dismantled the smuggling network who
mainly recruited Egyptian citizens as clients.
The suspects face charges of aiding and abetting illegal
immigration.
Promoters publicized a number of options on social media such as
the basic 'package' including a Mediterranean crossing or a
journey along the Balkan route - as well as an 'advanced' option
with visas and a flight as well as, in a number of cases, a fake
employer to enable clients to obtain a residence permit,
investigative sources said.
The probe, conducted by Milan police flying squad, found that
the smuggling ring was allegedly managed by a 48-year-old
Italian citizen of Egyptian origin, without a police record, who
had a regular job and lived in the area of Via Padova in Milan.
The alleged criminal organization publicized the journeys on
Facebook and Instagram accounts which included posts of alleged
clients who praised their journeys once they had arrived and
included the contact numbers of the alleged smugglers with
hundreds of users requesting information, investigators said.
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