Five men charged with murder of 200 migrants in Mediterranean

Between 600 and 700 people were believed to be on board the capsized boat – only 373 survived

Italian police officers take in custody Imad Busadia, center, one of the five alleged smugglers who were detained on Thursday (AP)

Five men have been charged with the murder of 200 migrants who died when the boat they were travelling to Europe on capsized in the Mediterranean.

Italian police arrested the men, named as Imad Busadia, Abdullah Assnusi, Ali Rouibah, Suud Mujassabi and Shauki Esshaush, on Thursday Reuters reported.

The men are aged between 21 and 24 and come from Libya, Algeria and Tunisia.

Witnesses told police that the suspected traffickers kept about 100 of the migrants, who are now presumed dead, in the hull of the sinking boat by force.

Left to right: Suud Mujassabi, Imad Busadia, Shauki Esshaush, Ali Rouibah and Abdullah Assnusi (AFP)

They allegedly said that those at the bottom of the boat, who had paid less than other passengers, could be kept in the hull for three days.

When the boat began filling with water the traffickers allegedly beat the migrants back with belts, threatened them with knives and ordered the other passengers to sit on the hatch of the hull to keep them inside.

The men, who are believed to be part of a Libyan-based trafficking ring, were arrested after survivors were brought to Sicily and gave further information to police.

The migrants were charged between £775 and £1,160 to come from African countries to Europe, with life jackets costing extra, Italian newspaper La Stampa reported.