The Lebanese Army rescued on Saturday morning passengers on board an illegal immigration boat that was in danger of sinking off the shores of Chekka, North Lebanon, after the boat had experienced a malfunction in the open sea, according to Al-Markazia news agency.

Approximately 35 people, mostly women and children, were aboard the boat. One of the women on board managed to contact and warn authorities about the impending disaster using her mobile phone.

Immediately, the Maritime Rescue Unit of the Civil Defense and the Army Navy headed to the location identified by the caller and rescued everyone from the sea, including the boat’s captain and assistant.

The Army established a security perimeter in the area and prevented anyone from approaching until the mission was completed around 5 AM.

There were reports of three individuals reaching the shore by swimming, with the boat having broken down about a kilometer and a half from the shore. However, this allegation turned out to be untrue, and all passengers are in the custody of the Army, according to Al-Markazia.

ISF Foils Illegal Emigration Attempt

Furthermore, the Internal Security Forces (ISF) foiled a new attempt at illegal immigration to Europe. Last Sunday, they intercepted a boat in Miniyeh (North Lebanon) that was to transport illegal Syrian immigrants to Cyprus.

The ISF said in a statement that this arrest is part of “the strategy carried out by the ISF to reduce illegal immigration operations by sea.”

The ISF thus arrested 42 Syrians, including six children, who were supposed to travel from Miniyeh to Arida. Those arrested confessed that they were aiming for immigration to Europe via Cyprus, for a sum ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 US dollars per person, according to the press release.

The Lebanese man who was supposed to transport the immigrants to the boat (W.A., born in 1996) was also arrested. The smuggler admitted to having coordinated the use of a boat that was to meet the immigrants on the Arida coast and take them to Cyprus. The ISF is continuing the investigation to intercept the other members of this human trafficking network.

The boat was seized and the Syrian detainees were handed over to the competent regional unit so that appropriate legal measures could be taken against them in accordance with the court decision.