Authorities have taken a total of five people into custody in Germany, the Netherlands and Bosnia Herzegovina, following coordinated operations against a group of alleged migrant smugglers. German authorities said that the arrested individuals are accused of being part of a gang that smuggled Syrian migrants into Europe.
The police operation on Wednesday (August 6) was coordinated with the EU anti-crime bodies Europol and Eurojust, according to German authorities.
Three individuals were arrested in Bosnia, while the other two were detained in Germany and the Netherlands, respectively.
German police in Bavaria said that all five suspects are Syrian nationals who are aged between 26 and 37.
Officials added that they are accused of bringing at least 500 people to Germany and other European countries since 2021.
Investigators however added that they believe the "actual number of cases is significantly higher" than 500.
"The organization itself says that in 2022 it was smuggling up to 480 people per day into Germany and Europe," an official statement specified.
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Charging thousands of euros per migrant
German police also searched three apartments in the western cities of Dortmund and Bochum as part of the raid, while Dutch police searched a property in Houten in the central region of the Netherlands.
"Extensive evidence was seized, including the smartphones and vehicles used in the commission of the crime, as well as small quantities of narcotics," the statement added.
According to preliminary investigations, the criminal gang is believed to have charged up to 4,500 euros per person for their journey, accumulating a minimum of 1.4 million euros between 2022 and 2025.
The smugglers are thought to mainly have made use of the so-called Balkan route to the EU.
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Gang believed to have resorted to 'severe physical violence'
According to Eurojust, the gang is also believed to have "resorted to severe physical violence" while making use of state-of-the-art communication tools to facilitate the transit of irregular migrants.
The investigation into the gang was built on information obtained during a similar multinational operation in October and November 2024, which resulted in 29 arrests.
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With AFP