Three people were arrested and dozens of searches were conducted across Italy on Tuesday as part of a police operation against members of a criminal organization involved in aiding and abetting unauthorized immigration. The operation came after investigations connected to a terrorist attack on December 19, 2016 in Berlin.
People across Italy have expressed their shock at the news that Brahim Aoussaoui had remained in Italy for weeks prior to committing three gruesome murders in Nice. The 21-year-old Tunisian had originally arrived on Lampedusa.
Germany deported a key suspect in the 2016 Berlin Christmas market attack before he was questioned, according to leaked official documents. Bilel Ben Ammar is thought to have been an informant for Moroccan intelligence.
The migrant crisis was at the top of the agenda for the meeting between the two leaders in Berlin. The topics included deportations of illegal migrants from North Africa in Germany, as well as Tunisia’s role in providing assistance to refugees.