Coastguard units of the center regions thwarted 31 illegal sea crossings and rescued 1,335 sub-Saharan African migrants.

In a statement on Thursday, the General Directorate of the National Guard said units from the Sfax National Guard district arrested eight suspected organizers and middlemen and seized 14 metal boats, 23 outboard motors and a quantity of fuel.

In a second statement, units of the National Guard in the Jebeniana region, in cooperation with units of the Intelligence and Investigation Department, uncovered a workshop dedicated to the manufacture of metal boats used in illegal sailing operations, arrested four people and seized two metal boats and some equipment used for this purpose.

The Public Prosecutor's Office authorized their detention and the necessary measures to be taken.