International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) on Tuesday announced the arrest of 262 in its operation targeting migrant smuggling across the Mediterranean and West African Atlantic route.

INTERPOL said in a statement that more than 400 investigations were also ongoing as part of its operations.

“International operation targeting criminal organisations involved in migrant smuggling across the Mediterranean Sea and the West African Atlantic route has resulted in 262 arrests and 434 new investigations,” it said.

INTERPOL said 41 organised criminal groups involved in migrant smuggling were identified by authorities in four days.

“In a significant case, Libyan authorities rescued 34 potential victims of human trafficking and arrested three individuals for their suspected involvement in an organised criminal group engaged in human trafficking, migrant smuggling and extortion,” it said.

According to the organisation, officers also checked more than 378,000 individuals, monitored hotspots, strengthened screening at key locations and pursued investigative leads.

During the operation, “109 potential victims identified, 1,715 irregular migrants detected,” INTERPOL said.