INTERPOL has arrested 262 suspects and uncovered 41 organised criminal networks involved in migrant smuggling and human trafficking during a major international operation targeting migration routes across the Mediterranean Sea and the West African Atlantic.
The four-day operation, known as Operation Communis Maris, was conducted from October 5 to 8, 2026, with law enforcement agencies from 16 countries across North and West Africa, southern Europe and the Middle East taking part.
According to an INTERPOL statement released on Tuesday, November 10, the operation also identified 109 potential victims of human trafficking, detected 1,715 irregular migrants and resulted in the opening of 434 new investigations.
Of the 262 suspects arrested, 221 are suspected of migrant smuggling, 16 face allegations of human trafficking, while 25 others were detained over offences including the production and use of fraudulent documents.
A total of 7,660 law enforcement officers participated in the operation. They conducted checks on more than 378,000 people, monitored migration hotspots, strengthened security at strategic locations and collected intelligence on suspected criminal networks.
The operation was coordinated by INTERPOL with support from Europol, Frontex, AFRIPOL, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
INTERPOL Director of Organised and Emerging Crime, David Caunter, warned that criminal groups continue to exploit people seeking better opportunities abroad, exposing migrants to dangerous journeys, violence and serious abuse.
He described the Mediterranean as one of the world’s deadliest migration routes, where smugglers frequently transport people in overcrowded and unsafe boats. Migrants also face risks of extortion, physical violence and human trafficking along their journeys.
Caunter stressed that international cooperation was essential to identifying those behind these operations, dismantling their networks and preventing further loss of life.
During the crackdown, authorities intercepted several vessels suspected of being used to transport migrants across international waters.
In southern Morocco, security officials stopped a boat carrying 70 people attempting to migrate irregularly, including 30 minors. The passengers had reportedly spent six days at sea before authorities intercepted the vessel.
In a separate incident, Senegalese authorities alerted neighbouring countries after a wooden boat left the country’s territorial waters. Mauritanian officials intercepted the vessel the following day, discovering 80 passengers, including two children. Three suspected organisers were arrested.
Tunisian authorities also disrupted an attempted sea crossing and arrested three people accused of organising migrant smuggling. Officers seized a boat, a marine engine and other equipment believed to have been used in the operation.
In Libya, authorities rescued 34 potential victims of human trafficking and arrested three suspects allegedly connected to an organised criminal group involved in trafficking, migrant smuggling and extortion.
Meanwhile, Algerian security officials arrested six suspects during an investigation into a migrant-smuggling network. The individuals also face allegations of endangering minors.
In Syria, coordinated maritime patrols and surveillance operations led to a raid on a facility allegedly used by migrant smugglers. Seven suspects, including the alleged leader of the network, were arrested, while 22 irregular migrants were intercepted.
The international operation also targeted criminal activities beyond dangerous sea crossings. Authorities increased security checks at airports and investigated the use of forged travel documents and financial activities suspected of supporting smuggling networks.
In Cyprus and Greece, suspects were arrested at airports over attempts to travel using fraudulent documents. Moroccan officials also detained a person suspected of supplying counterfeit passports and recruiting people for irregular migration.
French police arrested six people suspected of money laundering, facilitating irregular migration and housing a vulnerable or dependent person in conditions considered incompatible with human dignity.
To strengthen cooperation between participating countries, INTERPOL deployed officers to an Operational Coordination Unit in Athens, Greece. The unit helped law enforcement agencies exchange intelligence and coordinate investigations in real time.
During the operation, officers conducted 210,594 searches of INTERPOL’s police databases to identify suspects and investigate suspected criminal activities.
Investigators also discovered social media posts, groups and accounts advertising irregular migration services and offering assistance with people smuggling.
INTERPOL said intelligence gathered during the operation, alongside the 434 newly opened investigations, could lead to further arrests and the discovery of additional criminal networks in the coming weeks and months.
Operation Communis Maris was funded by the European Union through Project Himaya. The 16 participating countries were Algeria, Cyprus, France, The Gambia, Greece, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal, Senegal, Spain, Syria, Tunisia and Türkiye.