TRIPOLI: The commercial director of a Libyan airline has been arrested as part of an investigation into allegations of flying illegal migrants bound for the United States through Nicaragua, according to the attorney general’s office.
The investigation centers around Ghadames Air, a private airline accused of facilitating flights for “hundreds of people aiming to enter the United States via Nicaragua, in violation of immigration laws,” the office stated in an overnight Sunday-Monday release.
The director of commercial operations for Ghadames Airlines has been detained for activities deemed detrimental to the country’s interests, authorities confirmed.
Allegations include flying individuals from East Asian countries without adherence to carrier obligations or immigration laws, in addition to contravening international treaties ratified by Libya. The statement emphasized concerns over violating protocols aimed at combating migrant smuggling by air, sea, and land.
In a report published by Le Monde in late May, multiple charter flights operated by Ghadames Air purportedly transported hundreds of Asian migrants from Benghazi and Tripoli to Managua, Nicaragua’s capital.
Like other Libyan carriers, Ghadames Air is restricted from entering European Union airspace due to security concerns.
Since the NATO-backed overthrow of Muammar Qaddafi in 2011, Libya has faced internal division and unrest. The country remains divided between rival administrations and has become a focal point for migrants seeking to reach Europe by sea.
According to the International Organization for Migration, Libya hosts over 700,000 migrants, predominantly Nigerians and Egyptians. However, Tripoli’s interior minister Imad Trabelsi recently estimated the total foreign population in Libya at around 2.5 million, with a significant majority having entered the country illegally.
