Human trafficking gang busted in Europe
Austrian police said Monday that an
international operation has smashed an alleged people-smuggling ring suspected of
illegally bringing more than 1,000 people from Hungary into western Europe
over the past year.
More than 100 officers in Austria, Germany, Poland and Hungary raided 12 properties last Thursday, arresting seven people believed to be the ringleaders, police in Salzburg told reporters.
“The group was composed of 25 Russian nationals of Chechen origin residing in Austria. The Austrian-based key facilitator was recruiting drivers in Austria and deploying them to Hungary.
He was in permanent contact with the recruiters who had been tasked to recruit migrants in refugee camps in Hungary,” the European police organisation said in a statement on Monday.
They would allegedly charge 300 euros ($330) per person for transport from Hungary to Vienna and 700-800 euros to get to Germany, transporting them in convoys of several cars and paying drivers 700 euros per journey.
"This remains a very lucrative business," said Gerald Tatzgern, Austria's senior official in charge of efforts to tackle human-smuggling.
Austria and Hungary last year became major transit countries for hundreds of thousands of migrants, many of them escaping violence in Syria and elsewhere, travelling up from Greece into western Europe.
Hungary has since closed its border with Serbia, which together with a deal between the European Union and Turkey has slowed the inflow dramatically. This has, however, prompted migrants to turn to smugglers.
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More than 100 officers in Austria, Germany, Poland and Hungary raided 12 properties last Thursday, arresting seven people believed to be the ringleaders, police in Salzburg told reporters.
“The group was composed of 25 Russian nationals of Chechen origin residing in Austria. The Austrian-based key facilitator was recruiting drivers in Austria and deploying them to Hungary.
He was in permanent contact with the recruiters who had been tasked to recruit migrants in refugee camps in Hungary,” the European police organisation said in a statement on Monday.
They would allegedly charge 300 euros ($330) per person for transport from Hungary to Vienna and 700-800 euros to get to Germany, transporting them in convoys of several cars and paying drivers 700 euros per journey.
"This remains a very lucrative business," said Gerald Tatzgern, Austria's senior official in charge of efforts to tackle human-smuggling.
Austria and Hungary last year became major transit countries for hundreds of thousands of migrants, many of them escaping violence in Syria and elsewhere, travelling up from Greece into western Europe.
Hungary has since closed its border with Serbia, which together with a deal between the European Union and Turkey has slowed the inflow dramatically. This has, however, prompted migrants to turn to smugglers.
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