In a significant blow to organized crime, Romanian law enforcement, with critical support from Europol, has dismantled a major network involved in smuggling migrants along the Balkan route according to a press release from Europol on 30th July. The Romanian Police (Poliția Română) and the Romanian Border Police (Poliția de Frontieră), in coordination with the Bulgarian General Directorate Combating Organised Crime (Главна Дирекция Борба с организираната престъпност), spearheaded the operation. Additional support came from Austria, Germany, and Hungary.
Operation Details:
On July 29, 2024, a coordinated raid across multiple Romanian cities yielded significant results:
– Search Locations: 9 locations were searched, including 2 in Arad, 3 in Bucharest, 1 in Oradea, and 3 in Timișoara.
– Arrests: 8 individuals, comprising Romanian and Syrian nationals, were apprehended.
– Migrants Found: 32 migrants were discovered in a safe house, including 9 Iraqi and 21 Syrian nationals, as well as 2 individuals of unknown nationalities.
– Seizures: Documents, electronic equipment, and cash were confiscated.
Smuggling Operations and Financial Exploitation
The investigation uncovered a well-organized criminal network operating primarily out of Bucharest and using Timișoara as a transit hub. The network was predominantly composed of Syrian and Romanian nationals and was responsible for recruiting migrants from the Middle East, mainly Syria. These migrants aimed to reach Western European countries, with Germany being a primary destination.
The smuggling fee ranged from EUR 5,000 to EUR 10,000 per person for the journey from Türkiye to Western Europe. The leader of the network, a Syrian national residing in Romania for three years, maintained strong connections with organizers based in Istanbul. He played a crucial role as a regional coordinator, recruiting Romanian nationals who often worked as private taxi drivers to transport the migrants. Between February and May alone, Romanian authorities detected five smuggling incidents involving 70 irregular migrants. These individuals were transported in lorries, hidden among merchandise.
Cross-Border Cooperation and Europol’s Role
Europol played a pivotal role in the operation, facilitating information exchange and providing operational coordination and analytical support. On the action day, Europol deployed an analyst to Romania to cross-check operational information against Europol’s databases, offering leads to field investigators. Europol also coordinated the deployment of Bulgarian investigators to support Romanian officers during the field operations.
Europol emphasized the importance of cross-border cooperation in tackling organized crime. This operation showcases how collaborative efforts and intelligence sharing among European law enforcement agencies can effectively disrupt criminal networks exploiting vulnerable migrants.
For more detailed insights and updates on the ongoing efforts to combat organized crime and human smuggling, please visit Europol’s official website and follow their continuous reports.