Agrigento, 5 smugglers from the maxi-landing on 28 August 2021 in Lampedusa arrested

Agrigento, the Flying Squad carried out a detailed investigation activity at the Lampedusa hot spot which allowed the issuing of a Decree of Arrest of a Crime Suspect by the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court of Agrigento, against 5 Egyptian men responsible for the crime of aiding and abetting illegal immigration.

The investigations focused on the maxi landing on 28 August of 538 migrants of various nationalities, who arrived in Lampedusa on a wooden boat of approximately 25 metres, with a double deck and an inboard engine, completely unsuitable for carrying out the sea ​​crossing with such a large number of people on board, brought to port by patrol boats of the Guardia di Finanza and the Coast Guard.

The investigators of the Flying Squad, having overcome the difficulties linked to the management of the massive migratory flow and the fear of migrants to report information regarding the identification of the so-called. Smugglers, for fear of possible retaliation, immediately acquired useful information from dozens and dozens of migrants in preparation for reconstructing the various phases of navigation and the different roles played by the suspects.

The subjects responsible for driving the vessel were identified, those responsible for giving on-board orders, also forcing migrants to degrading and inhuman treatment by subjecting them to physical violence, and those responsible for distributing food and water during the crossing.

In fact, following the circumstantial framework collected and thanks to the incessant investigative activity carried out, the subjects responsible in various capacities for the crime foreseen and punished by the art. 12 of Legislative Decree 286/98, with the aggravating circumstances of having procured entry into the national territory for more than 5 people, of having exposed them to danger to their life or safety and of having acted with the aim of obtaining even indirect profit from it .

The brilliant result obtained, which materialized with the execution of the detention order against HNM; NAG; FFE; AEFMS; RHAB all of Egyptian origin, which took place late yesterday evening, was the result of the activity of the Flying Squad of Agrigento, with the precious contribution of the Naval Air Department of the Guardia di Finanza of Palermo.

At the end of the activity, 4 of the detainees were associated with the Agrigento prison and 1 with the Sciacca prison.

The investigative activity of the Flying Squad aimed at identifying the criminal organizations based on Libyan soil and dedicated to human trafficking is still underway and proceeds at an incessant pace despite the massive migratory flow, which in the month of August alone recorded the arrival of 5540 non-EU citizens, the State Police personnel were committed to carrying out arrests for illegal re-entry of migrants, without interruption.