Summary:

On 25 May 2023, the National Guard announced the arrest of a notorious irregular migrant smuggler who operated out of Sfax, accumulating 24 arrest warrants and prior sentences totaling 79 years in prison.

The Italian Interior Minister, Matteo Piantedosi, was quick to applaud the arrest, noting the connection of the smuggler to a particular shipwreck that killed 20 Tunisians.

The arrest follows a late March announcement by Piantedosi that Italy had reached an agreement with Tunisia to take a more direct role in intercepting migrants. This included plans to conduct joint naval patrols and to intensify intelligence cooperation in Sfax.

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