Italy arrests eight over Sardinia migrant smuggling ring

Italian police said Thursday they arrested eight people accused of belonging to a migrant smuggling ring that took people by small boat from Algeria to Sardinia.

Police said the group allegedly carried about a dozen people at a time from the Algerian port of El Kala to Sardinia's southern coast. Migrants paid up to 2,500 euros each for the crossing, and police said they had documented at least five crossings in recent months.

The eight suspects are all Algerians, including an alleged ringleader who was an asylum-seeker living in Sardinia, police said. They were arrested in raids involving about 100 law enforcement officers.

Police said the group was planning to buy fast boats to expand its operations and smuggle drugs. They said the ring had ties to Algeria and France, where the organisation's main financier was based.

Those arrested face charges including criminal association aimed at aiding illegal migration and forging documents. Police said most of the migrants came from Algeria and Tunisia.

Italy's interior ministry says almost 17,000 migrants have arrived in Italy by boat so far in 2026, down from 37,000 over the same period last year.