Tripoli – The Tripoli Criminal Court issued a verdict on Tuesday. It convicted four defendants in cases related to human trafficking and illegal migrant smuggling. Their involvement in a gang was proven. This gang organized smuggling operations via Zuwara’s coast. They also committed kidnapping and extortion crimes against expatriates.
The case details revealed the defendants coordinated cross-border illegal migration. They also detained migrants. Migrants were used as leverage against their families for financial extortion. The defendants threatened to publish videos documenting torture.
The court sentenced the first defendant to 22 years in prison. The second received 15 years. The third defendant was sentenced to 12 years. The fourth defendant was sentenced in absentia to 12 years. This followed the completion of trial procedures. The charges against them were proven.