A people-smuggling gang responsible for trafficking migrants across Europe has been dismantled, Italian police said on Wednesday.
They arrested 29 suspected traffickers accused of smuggling migrants from the Middle East and Africa across Italy and into northern Europe.
The four-year investigation provided law enforcement with groundbreaking understanding of how smuggling gangs work together, Catanzaro area chief prosecutor Nicola Gratteri said.
“For the first time, we succeeded in demonstrating all the passages, all the steps of the migrant, depending on the passenger's origin and desired destination,” Mr Gratteri added.
“For example, departing from Syria and going to Oslo, or wherever they wanted to go.”
More than 200 police carried out raids across Italy, including in Milan and Turin, after an international investigation that included co-operation from police in Turkey, Greece, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Britain and Morocco.
Many of the migrants transported by the gang arrived from Turkey or Greece, often on well-outfitted sailboats that elude detection by police or military patrols, police said.
Migrants would pay up to €15,000 ($16,500) each for the sea leg of the voyage, although the going rate appeared to be €10,000.
After landing in southern Italy, either in the Calabria or Puglia regions, passengers would take lorries, trains or taxis to the country’s northern borders and from there would head for destinations across northern Europe.
Key transit points included Ventimiglia, an Italian city near the border with France, and Trieste, in eastern Italy near Slovenia.
From the moment the migrants set foot in Italy, they were in the hands of the gang.
“In effect, a real and true system of illegal welcome, organised both abroad and in various Italian cities, that included food and lodging in the various stops, was created, and to which the migrants entrusted themselves completely,” said Francesco Messina, a top Italian police official.
All that came at an extra price. Migrants were charged up to €600 euros to reach northern cities such as Milan.
In Calabria, Mr Gratteri described the investigation as groundbreaking in terms of understanding how a series of smuggling gangs work together.
He said they had tracked the routes and revenue, and how they profited off their victims’ misery and desperation.
Mr Messina said that besides smuggler cells in Greece and in Turkey, the investigation found seven more operating in Italy.
One cell, based in Trieste, also served as the money-processing hub, investigators said. The smugglers transferred money abroad weekly in sums they hoped would be low enough to avoid triggering suspicion.
Another key point in the operations was Thessaloniki, Greece, from where migrants were moved to Athens and Patras. Others directly set sail for Italy's southern coastline from Izmir, in Turkey, Italian police said.
The smugglers exploited a sea route on the Eastern Mediterranean and used sailboats, which are less likely to be suspected of being migrant vessels than the frequently used overcrowded rubber dinghies or decrepit wooden fishing boats, according to Italian authorities.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
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Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
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Investors: Undisclosed
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Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
