Libyan Airline Official Arrested for Allegedly Aiding Illegal Migrant Transport

Libyan authorities have arrested the commercial director of Ghadames Air, suspected of assisting in the illegal transport of migrants to the United States via Nicaragua. The investigation revealed that the private airline had flown hundreds of people to Nicaragua, circumventing immigration laws and regulations.

Libyan authorities have ordered the arrest of an airline official on charges of facilitating the illegal transport of migrants to the United States via Nicaragua. The commercial director of Ghadames Air is under investigation for actions deemed harmful to national interests, according to the Tripoli-based Attorney General's office.

Ghadames Air is alleged to have transported hundreds of migrants to Nicaragua, with an ultimate aim of illegally entering the United States. The private airline, founded in 2021 and based in Tripoli, is currently unreachable for comment.

The Attorney General's office noted that the airline operated flights carrying migrants from East Asian countries without adhering to immigration laws. Libya, having descended into chaos post-2011 after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, remains a major transit point for migrants aiming to reach Europe.

(With inputs from agencies.)