A 47-year-old Moroccan, subject to an international arrest warrant issued by Morocco, was arrested Monday in Monza, northern Italy.
The suspect is accused of managing a network facilitating irregular migration to Italy, local media reported.
Investigators believe that in 2021 the arrestee received money from people he promised to help enter Europe irregularly, sometimes failing to fulfill his promises.
The man was convicted before in similar cases. In 2018, he was sentenced to 8 months in prison and fined and fined €10,000 for aiding irregular migration. In 2019, he was reported to the police for forging documents to secure a residence permit for a foreign citizen.
The man will remain in custody pending extradition to Morocco, where he could face up to 15 years in prison.