Beirut [Lebanon], April 29 (HornbillTV/ANI): The Lebanese army on Friday cracked a human smuggling network in Tripoli while it was attempting to smuggle 85 people by sea, the National News Agency reported.

The five-membered smuggling network bought a boat for estimated 400,000 U.S. dollars, which were collected from the illegal immigrants.

The Lebanese army seized the boat and the detainees were referred to judicial bodies for investigations and other legal procedures.

Lebanon has been facing an unprecedented crisis, forcing some people to escape the country illegally.

Recently, a boat carrying dozens of Lebanese and Syrian migrants sank off the coast near the northern city of Tripoli. The Lebanese army succeeded in rescuing 45 people, and the search operations for other victims are still ongoing. (ANI/Xinhua)