INTERPOL arrests 262 human trafficking suspects, others

The International Criminal Police Organisation, known as INTERPOL, has disclosed the successful completion of Operation Communis Maris, an international operation targeting organised criminal networks involved in migrant smuggling across the Mediterranean Sea and the West African Atlantic route. The four-day operation, conducted between October 5 and 8, 2026, resulted in the arrest of 262 suspects and the opening of 434 investigations.

Additionally, 109 potential victims of human trafficking were identified, and 1,715 irregular migrants were intercepted across participating countries in North and West Africa, southern Europe, and the Middle East. The operation, led by INTERPOL with support from Europol, Frontex, AFRIPOL, the International Organisation for Migration, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, aimed to dismantle criminal networks, rescue vulnerable migrants, and bring perpetrators to justice.

INTERPOL's Director of Organised and Emerging Crime, David Caunter, emphasized the importance of addressing the activities of criminal groups exploiting vulnerable migrants, highlighting that the Mediterranean Sea is one of the world's deadliest migration corridors, claiming thousands of lives annually.

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