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Tripoli, 9 March. A truckload of 88 illegal immigrants was discovered today at a checkpoint in Gharian by local militiamen. The . . .[restrict]immigrants had travelled from Niger to Sebha and then to Birak before driving to Gharian were hoping to make their way across the Mediterranean to Europe. They were discovered hidden under bundles of hay. The truck driver managed to flee before being arrested.
The Nigeriens say their journey was organized by a network of people smugglers operating in both Niger and Libya. One of them said that they had paid LD 400 each to be driven from Sebha to Tripoli.
The route is also used by networks smuggling Nigerians to Tripoli.
Despite reports elsewhere that the numbers of illegal immigrants using Libya as a transit route have declined significantly since 2010, the tide appears to be flowing again. In January, the interior ministry said that illegal immigrants had started entering the country again in their thousands.
On Thursday, two vehicle with illegal immigrants were stopped in Tobruk by security officials working with local militiamen. The immigrants were handed over to the police. [/restrict]
