An EU-wide operation, led by Germany, resulted in the takedown of a large criminal network involved in migrant smuggling, weapons trafficking and document fraud along the so-called Balkan route. The investigation was conducted within the framework of a Europol Operational Taskforce, made up of authorities from Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and other European countries. Over 450 officers were deployed on the ground during the action day. Two experts from Europol’s European Migrant Smuggling Centre supported the operation on the ground in Germany. A Joint Investigation Team, set up by Eurojust, facilitated the judicial cooperation between the countries.
The action day on 20 November led to:
- 25 arrests in total (6 in Austria 3 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 4 in Germany, 5 in Poland, 6 in Serbia, 1 in the United Kingdom);
- 3 High-Value Targets among the arrested. One of them, an Iraqi citizen, suspected leader of a connected smuggling network, was arrested in the United Kingdom following a European Arrest Warrant issued by Poland.
- 31 locations searched (7 in Austria 3 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 9 in Germany, 1 in the Netherlands (Eindhoven), 5 in Poland, 5 in Serbia, 1 in the United Kingdom);
- Seizures including: vehicles, electronic equipment and cash.
Violence and deaths along the EU border
The investigation targeted an organised criminal group that was allegedly active since 2021. The criminal network, spread across 20 countries, subcontracted local criminal groups to provide services such as transport and accommodation for their migrant smuggling operation. Composed mainly of Syrian nationals, the criminal network facilitated migrants’ movements from their country of origin to the EU via the so-called Balkan route and the Eastern European route. The final destinations of the irregular migrants, mainly Syrians, were predominantly Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. The criminal network was particularly violent towards the migrants in their care, and was similarly violent in defending its criminal market share from other criminal actors active along the smuggling routes. One journey orchestrated by the network led to the death of two female Syrian migrants in Latvia. This highly sophisticated and dangerous criminal network is also involved in other criminal activities such as money laundering and violent crimes.
Over EUR 3.4 million in illegal profits
The criminal network charged between EUR 4 500 and EUR 12 000, depending on the smuggling service and route. Both the migrants and the smugglers used a hawala operator in Türkiye for money transfers. This main hawala office collaborated with other hawaladars and offices across Europe. The international exchange of operational information linked the smuggling in 2024 of 750 migrants to this criminal network. These criminal activities were connected to 120 investigations. However, additional information from other investigations indicates that this network may have smuggled as many as 2 200 migrants to Germany alone during the time it operated. In total, investigators estimate that the smugglers earned over EUR 3.4 million in illegal profits.
Dedicated Europol Taskforce
In April 2024, Europol established an Operational Taskforce in collaboration with Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and other European countries. The information exchanged within this Taskforce, facilitated by Europol, revealed the dynamic operations of the investigated criminal network. Europol’s experts analysed this information, and the international exchange helped clarify the structure of the criminal activities and identify the actors involved in smuggling and the financial activities linked to the network.
In 2023, German authorities requested Eurojust to enable contacts with all other countries involved and assist with setting up a Joint Investigation Team, between Germany, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, with Austria as an operational partner. The Agency furthermore organised a coordination centre at its premises to support the action day and direct contacts between all authorities on the ground, Europol writes.
