Security services in Tripoli raided Friday several locations in Gargaresh Municipality west of Tripoli as part of a security campaign against illegal migration and drug and liquor trafficking.

The security services rounded up about 4,000 illegal migrants of different nationalities during the operation, the Interior Ministry that led the campaign confirmed.

According to the Interior Ministry, the Attorney General gave orders for the raids after public outcry from the locals over the high rate of crime in the area.

The area has seen several waves of security raids over the years, but the latest one was described as the fiercest so far.

The migrants were gathered in the Collection and Return Centre of Ghout Al-Shaal district, where they received medical assistance, said Col. Nouri al-Grettli, head of the centre, noting that they would pursue distributing migrants to other centres to reduce the overcrowding.

Media outlets quoted government officials as saying that many of the detained had lived illegally in Libya for years, and the authorities would deport as many as possible of the migrants to their home countries.

Later on Friday, Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah visited the targeted area and mingled with the local people to get an insight into their concerns and to ascertain the results of the operation.