The United Nations Security Council has imposed sanctions on six leaders of human trafficking networks operating in Libya.

Four Libyans among those blacklisted by the UN include the head of a regional coastguard unit, while the remaining two are Eritrean nationals.

Details of the sanctions include a global travel ban and assets freeze, which were approved following an internationally-backed Dutch proposal.

The proposal was initially presented on 1st May but held up by Russia, which sought to examine the evidence against the six men.

The sanctions, which are the first to be slammed on traffickers, follow widespread outrage after CNN aired footage showing the auctioning of migrant men as slaves in Libya late last year.

United States Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley said the sanctions send a strong message that the international community was united in seeking accountability for perpetrators of human trafficking and smuggling.