Tunisia dismantled a human trafficking network of eight Tunisians, including five women and a migrant smuggler, in a joint operation, the Tunisian National Guard said Monday.

This network is involved in human trafficking and financing illegal border crossings by Sub-Saharan Africans, the Tunisian National Guard said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.

Members of this network provided irregular migrants with approximately 230,000 dinars (about $74,080) financing through postal money orders, helping them to secure illegal residence in Sfax's El Amra and Jebeniana, said the statement.

Some 65,000 dinars (about $20,937) cash, a luxury vehicle and a collection of contracts for assets acquired for money laundering purposes, were seized during the operation, it said.

All those arrested were referred to the Sfax prosecutor's office, which ordered the issuance of eight detention warrants for "human trafficking and money laundering," said the statement.

Located at the northern tip of Africa, Tunisia is one of the most popular transit points for illegal immigration to Europe.

Although Tunisian authorities have adopted rigorous measures to tackle the problem, the number of illegal immigrants trying to reach Italy via Tunisian coasts has been on the rise.