Libyan authorities: UN sanctioned human trafficker gunned down in Tripoli

Abd al-Rahman Milad, a senior Libyan coastguard officer accused of running a human trafficking network, was shot dead in a vehicle in Tripoli on Sunday, according to multiple reports citing Libyan and Italian sources.

Milad, also known as "Bija," was sanctioned by the United Nations in 2018 alongside five other leaders of criminal organizations in Libya. A UN Security Council report released in 2017 accused him of exploiting migrants in Zawiyah, northwest Libya.

The report alleged that Milad was "directly involved in the sinking of migrant boats using firearms" and stated that his coastguard unit was "consistently linked with violence against migrants and other human smugglers." 

He was arrested in December 2020 but released four months later.  The military attorney general in Tripoli dropped charges due to "lack of evidence," according to numerous reports. Milad remained on the UN sanctions list until his death.

The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear, and no group has claimed responsibility for the killing.