INTERPOL operation arrests 262 suspects in global trafficking crackdown

A four-day international police operation, code-named Operation Communis Maris, has resulted in the arrest of 262 suspects involved in human trafficking and migrant smuggling. Conducted between October 5 and 8, 2026, the crackdown spanned 16 countries across North and West Africa, southern Europe, and the Middle East.

Of the individuals arrested, 221 were accused of migrant-smuggling offences, 16 were suspected of human trafficking, and 25 were apprehended for offences including the use of fraudulent travel documents. The operation led to the opening of 434 new investigations into criminal networks exploiting vulnerable migrants along the Mediterranean Sea and the West African Atlantic corridor.

Supported by agencies including Europol, Frontex, and the United Nations, the operation involved 7,660 law enforcement officers who screened more than 378,000 people. Authorities also identified 109 potential trafficking victims and intercepted 1,715 irregular migrants during the mission.