TUNIS, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Tunisian National Guard announced on Friday the arrest of 14 suspects in connection to various immigrant smuggling networks over the past 48 hours.

The arrests were part of operations conducted in the southeastern province of Sfax aimed at curbing illegal immigration, said the Tunisian National Guard in a statement posted on its Facebook page.

During these operations, National Guard units successfully thwarted five sea border crossing attempts and confiscated a "significant" sum of money.

Earlier this month, Tunisian security authorities launched a security campaign in Sfax to address the issue of illegal immigration. This initiative, directed by Tunisian President Kais Saied, seeks to halt the unacceptable surge in illegal immigration.

The campaign comes against the backdrop of the province's coast becoming a significant departure point for illegal immigrants attempting to reach the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Situated a mere 80 km from the Tunisian coastline, the island of Lampedusa is often the first stop chosen by immigrants for their sea voyage toward Italy. Enditem

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