Three suspects were detained Thursday for their involvement in a human trafficking scandal after a boat carrying dozens of migrants, including Palestinian refugees from Lebanon, capsized off Italy’s coast earlier this week.
Palestinian national Hasibah Hussein and Lebanese nationals Ghinwa Abu Zeinab and Rita Razouk were detained by the Internal Security Forces following the incident.
“As a result of an intensive investigation carried out by the Internal Security Forces’ Information Branch, the ISF managed to identify the suspects and their locations and detained them,” a statement released by the security forces read.
Hussein and Abu Zeinab, both travel agents, and Razouk, an employee at the Finance Ministry in Sidon, have reportedly confessed to their involvement in the scandal.
“They confessed to facilitating the smuggling of people from Lebanon by providing them with visas to Sudan, where they are received by gangs that smuggle them illegally to Libya and then to Europe, in return for money,” the statement said.
Eight residents of the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh were among the migrants traveling aboard the ill-fated boat. Seven have since been rescued, but the fate of one, reportedly named Mahmoud Mohammad, remains unknown.
The migrants were trying to reach Europe when their boat capsized off the Italian island of Lampedusa. They were rescued by the Italian coast guard.
Traffickers charge between $8,000 and $10,000 to illegally transport Palestinians from Lebanon into Europe.
Many Palestinians emigrate to escape the harsh living conditions of the impoverished camps, which lack basic infrastructure. Many also hope to find better employment, as Lebanese laws prohibit Palestinians from working in many fields.
