Migrants Smuggled Into Europe For Slave Trade: Libya

Tripoli: Libya's eastern-based army has accused the UN-backed government of migrant slave trade, a media report said.

"The army command detected activity of organised crime of transporting and selling illegal immigrants from one gang to another, depending on area of control of each gang," Xinhua news agency quoted the army as saying in a statement. "These gangs transferred the slaves from the countries of their origin into Libya. More than a gang work with other gangs active in the sea to smuggle the migrants into Europe."

The statement added that "local gangs legitimized by the Government of National Accord in western Libya, and other international gangs, are actively involved in horrific crimes against humanity by attacking migrants, violating their safety and health, and even selling their organs".

The army warned against "continuation of such crimes" while calling on the international community to lift the ban on arming its forces to "increase their capabilities to confront international crime, which the army considers an anti-terrorism effort".

IANS