UN Security Council has adopted a resolution authorising the European Union and individual countries to seize migrant-smuggling vessels on the high seas off Libya for another year. The resolution, adopted yesterday by a vote of 14-0 with Venezuela abstaining, stressed that the council's aim is to disrupt the organized criminal enterprises engaged in migrant smuggling and human trafficking and prevent loss of life.<br/><br/>Britain's UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said after the vote that he wanted to make clear that the EU's Operation Sophia is only targeting smugglers and empty boats. He said<br/>migrants found during the operation are taken to Europe.<br/><br/>Since the UN authorised the interdictions in October last year, Rycroft said, the Operation Sophia flotilla has directly apprehended 90 suspected smugglers and has made over 300 smuggling vessels unusable. The EU operation is also estimated to have rescued over 26,000 people, he said. The resolution authorises the EU and other states to inspect vessels off Libya's coast that they have reasonable grounds to believe are engaged in migrant smuggling. It also authorises the seizure of those vessels confirmed as being used for migrant smuggling