BEIRUT, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The Lebanese army on Thursday arrested 34 Syrian nationals, including women and children, in Lebanon's southern village of Sarafand over plans to illegally leave for Europe by sea.
A statement released by the Lebanese army noted that the arrested people also include members of a human smuggling network.
The arrested people were referred to relevant judicial bodies for further investigations and other legal procedures, it added.
Lebanon, which hosts a big number of refugees, is stuck in a steep financial crisis, prompting hundreds of them to attempt to flee the country over the past few months.
