An Eritrean man has been extradited from Sudan to Italy for allegedly running a human trafficking network, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
Prosecutors said that Medhane Yehdego Mered had a reputation for dangerous practices, often packing more humans than was safe, Reuters wrote. Because of Mered’s cavalier safety standards, many of his boats sank, including a vessel that capsized off of the Italian island of Lampedusa in 2013, killing 359.
Mered was arrested in Sudan on May 24th on charges of human trafficking and abetting illegal immigration.
Reuters reported that it is the first time the head of an alleged trafficking ring has been arrested in Africa — the home of many smuggling networks — and brought to Italy.