LYON, France — A four-day INTERPOL-led operation targeting migrant smuggling across the Mediterranean Sea and the West African Atlantic route ended with 262 arrests in 16 countries, INTERPOL announced.
Source: INTERPOL news release, November 10, 2026
The operation, named Communis Maris, ran from October 5 to October 8, 2026.
The participating countries were Algeria, Cyprus, France, the Gambia, Greece, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal, Senegal, Spain, Syria, Tunisia and Türkiye.
Four Days, Sixteen Countries, 262 Arrests
Of the 262 people arrested, 221 are accused of migrant smuggling offences, according to INTERPOL.
Sixteen are accused of human trafficking.
The remaining 25 are accused of other crimes, including the production and use of fraudulent documents.
Investigators identified 41 different organized criminal groups involved in migrant smuggling.
Authorities opened 434 new investigations during the operation.
Victims Identified, Vessels Stopped, Investigations Opened
Officers identified 109 potential victims of human trafficking, INTERPOL said.
Authorities detected 1,715 irregular migrants during the operation.
In Libya, 34 potential victims of human trafficking were rescued and three individuals were arrested.
In southern Morocco, a vessel carrying 70 would-be migrants, including 30 minors, was stopped after six days at sea.
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In Mauritania, a wooden pirogue carrying 80 passengers, including two children, was intercepted after Senegalese officials alerted neighbouring authorities, and three suspected organizers were arrested.
In Syria, 22 irregular migrants were intercepted and seven suspects, including the alleged ringleader, were apprehended after a raid on premises used by migrant smugglers.
In Algeria, six suspects were arrested in an investigation targeting a migrant-smuggling network, and they also face accusations of endangering minors.
In France, six individuals were arrested on suspicion of money laundering, facilitating irregular migration, and housing a vulnerable or dependent person in conditions incompatible with human dignity.
Officers Deployed, Databases Checked, Agencies Supporting
A total of 7,660 officers checked more than 378,000 individuals during the operation.
Officers made 210,594 queries against INTERPOL databases.
INTERPOL officials were deployed to an Operational Coordination Unit in Athens to facilitate real-time sharing of actionable intelligence.
Europol, Frontex, AFRIPOL, the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime provided operational support.
The operation was financed by the European Union in the framework of Project Himaya.
"The Mediterranean Sea is one of the world's deadliest migration corridors, claiming thousands of lives annually," said David Caunter, Director of Organized and Emerging Crime at INTERPOL. "Smugglers exploit vulnerable populations, often subjecting them to abuse, extortion and trafficking, as well as risking migrants' lives on overcrowded, unseaworthy vessels."
The arrests are allegations, and the cases will proceed through the courts of the participating countries. The 434 new investigations opened during the operation remain active, according to INTERPOL.
Anyone with information about migrant smuggling or human trafficking networks is asked to contact their local police or INTERPOL through its official website.
Sources: INTERPOL news release, "262 arrests in operation targeting migrant smuggling across the Mediterranean," November 10, 2026.
Transparency notes
Published: Nov 10, 2026. No major post-publication update has been logged.
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