Authorities in Comoros have arrested a suspected people-smuggler believed to be involved in a recent tragedy where traffickers allegedly capsized a boat, leading to the deaths of at least 25 people, the Comorian coastguard reported on Friday.
The tragic incident occurred on the night of October 30, during a 70-kilometer (43-mile) journey from the island of Anjouan to Mayotte, a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean. Fahmy Husny El-nassib, head of the Comorian coastguard, stated that the boat encountered engine troubles before it overturned, though it remains unclear why the traffickers chose to capsize the vessel.
El-nassib confirmed that the prosecutor in Mutsamudu, Anjouan’s largest city, informed him of the arrest of a suspected smuggler linked to the incident. “The prosecutor of Mutsamudu informed me yesterday that one of the smugglers had indeed been arrested,” El-nassib said.
According to a security source, the detained individual is believed to be the head of a human-smuggling network and the owner of the ill-fated vessel. Police and the prosecutor’s office have not yet commented on the arrest.
The United Nations migration agency initially reported that the tragedy took place on November 1. Thousands of people have risked the dangerous journey from Comoros to Mayotte over the years, drawn by better living standards and access to the French welfare system.
