Police in Italy have arrested 19 people accused of running a smuggling ring bringing migrants to Europe, APA reports citing BBC.
The smugglers allegedly transported migrants from countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan to Italy and then on to northern Europe.
Those arrested included Iraqi Kurds, Afghans and Italians, police said.
Police announced the findings following a two-year investigation that linked the suspects with smugglers in Turkey and Greece.
Investigators began looking into the alleged smuggling ring when ships carrying migrants began to arrive in the Sicilian city of Syracuse in 2018.