29 July 2015, 13:27 GMT
ROME (Sputnik) – On Monday, the four smugglers attempted to transport 453 migrants, including 13 minors and four pregnant women, from North Africa to Italy, Giornale di Sicilia reported.
According to the media outlet, the refugees, who were traveling on board four rubber boats, were intercepted by Italy's Diciotti-class coast guard ship and sent to the Sicilian port of Pozzallo.
On August 5, a vessel carrying several hundred migrants from North Africa capsized off the Libyan coast, reportedly killing over 200 people. Five North African human traffickers allegedly involved in the case were arrested by Italian police two days after the incident.
More than 90,000 migrants have tried to make their way to Italy by sea since the beginning of 2015, according to the UN's refugee agency.
According to the International Organization for Migration, over 1,900 refugees have died while attempting to reach Italy this year.
