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Four suspects arrested in the Mediterranean by Leopold I (maj)

(credit: Belgian Navy)
(credit: Belgian Navy)

(B2) 258 migrants from a smuggling boat in distress halfway between the eastern Mediterranean Sea and Italy were picked up on Thursday (November 5) by the Belgian frigate Leopold I (F-930) which is taking part in the European mission in the Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED / Sophia).

A ship from Egypt...

A rescue that is not just the impromptu or chance of the sea. According to our information, the ship had, in fact, been spotted by one of the operation's patrol planes (a Spanish P3 Orion or a Merlin III Luxembourgish). It came from Egypt just like its occupants. That's it " suspicious trajectory which caught the eye of analysts. " A boat that slants and heads for Lampedusa following an unusual route, that's what we can call suspicious an officer tells B2. In the same way, its heavy weight at the start - odd for a fishing vessel -, the absence of nets, and the presence of a large number of people on board confirmed the suspect character of the vessel. A ship from the European fleet was then dispatched nearby, with an instruction: to remain discreet.

... tracked, discreetly

« For two days, the F930 Leopold I had been remotely following a boat suspected of being used by human traffickers, en route to Italy from the eastern Mediterranean Sea confirms the staff of the Belgian navy. The frigate used all its resources — radars, infrared cameras, and other long-range sensors... — " to maintain its invisibility in order to avoid a possible escape of the smugglers and to collect as much information as possible before intervening ».

.... until the intervention

At the first light of day, while this boat seemed to have come to a standstill, the on-board helicopter sent to reconnoitre confirmed a large number of people on board, a breakdown and signs of distress. The fishing boat was indeed no longer maneuverable. That's when the rescue operation began and the 258 people — including 4 women and 196 minors! (2) — transferred to the ship. Migrants have been excavated, counted, fed and settled on the deck of the ship, then disembarked on Friday (November 6) in the Italian port of Augusta, which is one of the home ports for the vessels of operation EUNAVFOR MED / Sophia.

An interview with passengers

Informally, interviews were also conducted with other passengers, in order to find out about their route, the price and the organization of the passage, the possible presence of traffickers or accomplices on board... It is on the base " volunteering an officer explains to B2. Because " we do not have investigative or judicial powers as soldiers (1). Interviews conducted by intelligence specialists, present on board the frigate, experienced in this kind of exercise. The information collected is, in fact, then centralized at the operation's HQ, in order to improve knowledge of the various modus operandi traffickers.

... and 4 suspects arrested

Remote monitoring, questionnaires from other passengers, such as the inspection of the boat made it possible to identify 4 suspects. Three of them were handed over to the Italian authorities and arrested upon their arrival at the port of Augusta. The fourth suspected person, probably a minor, was released but " remain under surveillance ". She was placed in a detention center for minors. As for the unoccupied boat, it was destroyed because it " presented a hazard to navigation ».

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

  1. A very clear difference compared to French military ships for example.
  2. The age of these people was uncertain, it is possible - according to some testimonies - that many of them are, in fact, young adults. The declared number of minors is in any case relatively remarkable compared to the other rescues carried out.

(shift) game 12 with details on the suspicious nature of the ship.

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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