31.   The officials said that this smuggling operation could not have produced anything other than a tragedy.

32.   The smuggling operation is believed to have links to Hong Kong, where the containers and their human cargo are typically loaded.

33.   The smuggling operation is backed by Syrians and Pakistanis, these officials said.

34.   The smuggling operation then brought the Chinese nationals into Vancover, British Columbia, or Toronto using fake passports and documents.

35.   The three survivors were not involved in the smuggling operation, Bullock said.

36.   There have been numerous kidnappings in the past two or three years of entire loads by rival smuggling operations.

37.   There they were immediately loaded onto a single ship belonging to a smuggling operation that took the contraband to Barcelona, Spain.

38.   Others are forced into prostitution or into working as enforcers for the smuggling operations.

39.   Police had been tipped to the smuggling operation four months ago, Europa Press reported.

40.   Police had been tipped to the smuggling operation some months ago.