Syria-linked smuggling networks dismantled in Europe, 3 arrested
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – European authorities arrested three senior members of two Syrian migrant-smuggling networks accused of facilitating the illegal entry of more than 900 migrants into the European Union, Europol said on Thursday.
The arrests, carried out in Germany and Serbia on Aug. 5, followed years of investigations led by the German Federal Police and coordinated by Europol through an international task force.
According to Europol, the two interconnected Syrian criminal networks operated along the Central Mediterranean and Western Balkan migration routes, transporting predominantly Syrian migrants under dangerous conditions while generating substantial illicit profits.
Authorities arrested a 26-year-old Syrian national in Saarbrücken, Germany, who is suspected of organizing at least 125 migrant-smuggling journeys since October 2024.
In Belgrade, Serbian authorities detained two other Syrian suspects, aged 31 and 32, accused of coordinating large-scale operations that moved hundreds of migrants toward Western Europe.
Investigators said one Libya-linked network charged migrants between €6,500 and €7,800 per trip, while another operating from Serbia demanded up to €10,000 per person.
The operation also included six searches in Germany and the seizure of evidence currently under forensic examination.