Egyptian authorities have arrested nine migrant smugglers in the northern governorate of Beheria, close to the location of where a boat sunk last week that resulted in the drowning of over 200 people, state news agency MENA reported.
Police were tipped off that the men were planning an illegal trip to carry migrants from several nationalities to Italy across the Mediterranean.
The men were arrested on Tuesday in Beheira's towns of Rosetta and Edko and are being interrogated by prosecutors.
A boat capsized off the Mediterranean coast of Rosetto on 21 September. Officials say 202 are confirmed dead and rescue workers and fishermen said they had rescued at least 169 people.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday it believed at least 450 people, including Egyptian, Sudanese, Eritrean and Somali migrants were aboard the ship and that about 300 perished in total.
Four members of the boat crew have been arrested.
More than 300,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean so far this year from various points of departure, the UN said this week.
Migrants are trying to reach Europe from the African coast to escape political turmoil and economic hardship.
More than 10,000 people have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean from Europe since 2014, according to the United Nations.
