Written by Piero Messina
A joint military force made up of forces from Tripoli’s GNU Ministry of the Interior and patrols from the Lybian National Army has dismantled a network of human traffickers and drug smugglers.
It is one of the first joint missions of the militias of the Tripoli government and forces of the army led by General Haftar. It is yet another sign that, despite the failure of the electoral project, the unity of Libya is not called into question by the various parties involved. A clear signal to be sent to the international community, an episode that demonstrates how the alchemies studied for ten years in Western chancelleries are useless and it is necessary to return the keys to their self-determination to the Libyan people.
The operation in Tobruk coastal area was conducted under the supervision of the Deputy Interior Minister of the GNU of Tripoli, Captain Faraj Al Qaim and Khaled Haftar, the commander of the 106 Brigade of the Lybian National Army. The Tariq Bin Ziyad Brigade, the Khaled Bin Walid Brigade of Tobruk and the Libyan Navy contingent also participated in the military operation.
The intervention aimed against the racketeering of drug traffickers and human beings was planned during a meeting in Tobruk on last 17th December. Representatives of the Tobruk tribes also took part in the meeting. For the Deputy Minister Al Qaim and Colonel Haftar, the joint military intervention was necessary because the coastal strip of Tobruk had become a strategic asset for traffickers.
Reports to this effect had come from neighboring countries and from Italy. The operation led to the seizure and destruction of over half a million Tramadol tablets and the arrest of 30 smugglers. Tramadol is an active ingredient of synthetic origin belonging to the class of opioids. It is normally used to treat moderate or severe pain. It jumped to the headlines with the nickname of “fighter’s drug” as it would be used by the militiamen to launch into battle with their heads down, with courage and without fear for their own safety.
During the intervention, illegal camps for migrants were discovered. In fact, more than 1300 Egyptians were released, they were detained for three months on a farm near the city of Bi’r al Ashhab. The freed Egyptians were immediately transferred to their homeland.
During the same operation, arrests and kidnappings were also made in Tobruk. According to the Deputy Minister Al Qaim “the operation is not yet completed, let’s go ahead and we will not return to the barracks until the entire area is completely cleared of the action of traffickers”.
Al Qaim announces “zero tolerance” towards traffickers. Deputy minister Al Qaim also said that the traffickers will be handed over to the Tobruk Judicial District.
well-done