The head of the press office of the Libyan National Army (LNA ) General Command, Khalifa Al-Ubeidi, has announced that more than a thousand illegal migrants have been released from the captivity of a human trafficking gang in the Shwerif region, in the south-west of the country.
The trafficking gang had held the captives in a large hideout in the Shweirif neighbourhood. Following the raid on their hide out by the LNA forces, representatives of the gang were detained, and the migrants, among whom were women and children, were sent to safe places and provided with everything they needed.“The forces of the Tarek Ben Zeid Brigade of the Libyan National Army released more than a thousand illegal migrants, most of them from African countries.” Khalifa Al-Ubeidi said
Khalifa Al-Ubeidi also assured that Libyan law enforcers will continue to carry out raids to ensure the security of the state border and civilians.
In a similar incident in May, 107 illegal migrants, including women and children, were released in southeastern Libya. According to some of those released, they had been in captivity for up to seven months.
Libya is a transit route for migrants from African countries fleeing conflict and poverty to European countries. They follow a dangerous route across the Sahara and the Mediterranean Sea. Libya’s oil economy also attracts Africans looking for work.
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