ROME -- A British Royal Navy vessel together with German, Italian ships and a Luxembourg reconnaissance aircraft trapped a people smugglers' boat in the Mediterranean last week-end arresting three smugglers and rescuing 146 migrants, the EU Naval Force Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR Med) said. 

 The operation took place on Saturday evening, and ended with the successful handing over of three alleged smugglers as well as the seizure of the ship which they were using for the migrants. The operations also saved 146 migrants who were on board the ship at the time.

 The operation began when the patrol aircraft ‘Luxembourg Merlin III’ alerted EUNAVFOR Med’s central headquarters, based in Rome, of the presence of a cargo boat full of migrants in international waters. The organisation then arranged for the ‘Garibaldi’ aircraft carrier to send out two helicopters to the cargo boat, as well as the German ship ‘Werra’ to head out to the smugglers’ boat.

 ‘HMS Enterprise’, a Royal Navy survey and patrol vessel, was also deployed in the Mediterranean as part of the European task force helping Italy deal with the migration crisis, as well as Italian ship ‘Borsini’ which was also sent out to help with the operation.

 In addition to its recent success in helping to aid Italy in combatting the migration crisis, ‘HMS Enterprise’ was also partly responsible for saving over 540 migrants from smuggler boats in the Mediterranean in October 2015, together with another Royal Navy boat named ‘HMS Richmond.’ ‘HMS Enterprise’ reportedly rescued 439 migrants and ‘HMS Richmond’ 102. 

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