Tunisian security units have arrested 1,200 people of different nationalities who planned to cross the Mediterranean to Europe illegally, local media reported.
“The arrest operations were carried out by National Guard units during a security campaign in the southeastern province of Sfax to stop the illegal immigration waves,” Houcemeddine Jbabli, spokesman for the Tunisian National Guard, said.
He added that the security units also arrested a number of organisers of the trips across the sea and seized wooden boats.
The security campaign carried out on Saturday on the island of Kerkennah in Sfax province witnessed an aerial operation with the participation of many special security units and rapid intervention teams.
The campaign was carried out against the backdrop of the coast of the province becoming a major starting point for illegal immigrants as they tried to sneak into the Italian island of Lampedusa.
The island of Lampedusa, the usual first stop by illegal immigrants on their sea voyage to Italy, is only about 80km from the Tunisian coasts.
