Albanian authorities have arrested an Afghan national accused of organizing an attempted migrant crossing to Italy after a rubber boat carrying 11 foreign nationals was intercepted near Sazan Island, where those on board were at risk of drowning.

According to police, the 43-year-old suspect coordinated the operation from Greece, arranging for the foreign nationals to enter Albania illegally before attempting to transport them across the Adriatic Sea to Italy.

Investigators said the inflatable boat had been collected in the Seman area of Fier after the suspect received its location from an Albanian national. Authorities are working to identify the individual allegedly involved in facilitating the operation.

The vessel was intercepted after Albanian Delta Force units and Border Police carried out a rescue operation near Sazan Island, bringing all 11 people on board to safety.

The 43-year-old Afghan citizen has been placed under arrest on suspicion of migrant smuggling. Meanwhile, the remaining migrants—nationals of Haiti, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Liberia—are under investigation for illegal border crossing, police said.

The investigation is ongoing as authorities continue efforts to identify other individuals who may have been involved in organizing the smuggling route.