Libya toughens measures against smuggling, human trafficking

TRIPOLI, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Libya's eastern-based army on Sunday started patrols in the southeastern border in order to control smuggling and human trafficking, a military official told Xinhua.

"Military patrols started on Sunday by the army's Subul Assalam Battalion in the southeastern city of Kufra," Libyan army officer Saeed Wanis told Xinhua.

"The smuggling operations taking place there are draining the Libyan wealth in a frightening way," said Wanis, referring to the difficulty of securing the area "given its vast desert nature that requires a large number of soldiers."

The Battalion issued a statement on Saturday threatening human traffickers and fuel smugglers, confirming it would not "tolerate smugglers" and that "the military patrols will continue for 24 hours a day."

"We managed, in the past few days, to confiscate nine fuel tankers loaded with gasoline on the outskirts of Rubiana, 400 km west of Kufra, which were heading to Chad," the Battalion said.

Southern Libya witnesses many oil smuggling and immigrant trafficking activities, given the vast desert nature and poor security conditions in the area. Enditem