Italy has arrested members of a people-smuggling ring that invested the proceeds in a shipyard.
The 14 Italian and Tunisian nationals are alleged to have ferried people and cigarettes on high-speed vessels from Tunisia to Sicily over the last two years, financial police said, according to the ANSA news agency.
Assets worth more than EUR 3m ($3.4m) have been seized.
The operation was known as Black Beard, because the Tunisian ringleader had a thick black beard.
Ill-gotten gains were invested in a Sicilian shipyard, a farm and a luxury waterfront restaurant.
Groups of 10 to 15 migrants were charged EUR 3,000 per head for the trip.
