Libya: GNA arrests ex-coastguard head wanted by Interpol

Libya’s United Nations-recognised government has announced the arrest of a former coastguard head wanted by Interpol and under UN sanctions for alleged human trafficking. Abd al-Rahman al-Milad, also known as al-Bidja, was arrested by senior security operatives in Tripoli on the back of an Interpol notice and an arrest warrant issued by the prosecutor general, a statement by the Government of National Accord’s interior ministry said on Wednesday. He is suspected, among other offences, of involvement in “human trafficking” and is under UN sanctions that include a travel ban and the blocking of his bank accounts. The statement did not give details of the arrest of al-Milad, 30, but Libyan media said he was intercepted at a police roadblock near the capital. Libya has been plagued by corruption and turmoil since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. It is split into two administrations. The one in the west, including Tripoli, is ruled by the UN-supported government, while the east-based government is supported by renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar. Oil-rich Libya has emerged as a major conduit for people from Africa and the Middle East fleeing wars and poverty and hoping to reach Europe. style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;">