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Mauritania dismantles transatlantic smuggling network

April 12, 2023 at 1:28 pm

The Mauritanian national flag in Nouakchott on 2 April 2019 [CARMEN ABD ALI/AFP via Getty Images]

The Mauritanian police said yesterday that they have dismantled a network for smuggling irregular migrants across the Atlantic Ocean.

The network was arrested in the capital, Nouakchott. It includes four foreigners and a Mauritanian national who were arrested while trying to smuggle 28 persons who are of African and Asian descent, according to a statement released by the police.

In December, Interior Minister Mohamed Ahmed Ould Mohamed El-Amin said authorities had dismantled several smuggling and human trafficking networks.

Mauritania is a major crossing point for African migrants, with the city of Nouadhibou – located on the Atlantic coast – becoming a preferred destination for irregular migrants wishing to cross to Europe.

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