(VOVworld) – Italian police say they have broken up a ring smuggling illegal immigrants from North Africa to Europe, their first destination being Italy.

An Italian coast guard vessel is seen with a helicopter during the search and rescue operation underway after a boat carrying migrants capsized overnight, with up to 700 feared dead, in this still image taken from video on April 19, 2015. (Photo: Reuters)

On Monday Palermo police arrested 24 people allegedly trafficking humans and smuggling illegal immigrants to Europe. They are from several different nations, including Ghana, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Ivory Coast. Italian prosecutor Maurizio Scalia said smuggling people to Europe is a profitable business. 
Over the past year Italian police have broken up a number of rings that were smuggling people to Europe and have arrested some 1,000 smugglers. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has urged the EU to provide more support to Italy in its fight against human smuggling and its efforts to stabilise the situation in Libya, from which 91 per cent of ships carrying illegal migrants to Italy depart.