Two years in jail for violent people smuggler
A Chechen man has been sentenced to two years in prison for people smuggling by a court in Linz. The 26-year-old has also been ordered to pay a fine of €17,000 - the amount of profit he made by smuggling 112 refugees into Austria and Germany.
The man charged refugees €150 to drive them from Hungary to Vienna, and a further €400 if they wanted to travel onto Germany. Most of his clients were Syrians who were fleeing the war in their country. He made a total of 28 journeys and also smuggled many children across the border. He told the judge that he didn’t charge any money for children.
However, he failed to win over the judge’s sympathy and was also found guilty of physically abusing his pregnant girlfriend, repeatedly hitting her in the stomach, head and back and once throwing a knife at her.
When she threatened to go to the police and expose his illegal activities he told her that he would kill her. Despite her fear she did go to the police and her boyfriend was arrested in September.
When he was taken into police custody he assaulted and injured two security guards, and was ordered by the judge to pay a further €2,500 for their pain and suffering.
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The man charged refugees €150 to drive them from Hungary to Vienna, and a further €400 if they wanted to travel onto Germany. Most of his clients were Syrians who were fleeing the war in their country. He made a total of 28 journeys and also smuggled many children across the border. He told the judge that he didn’t charge any money for children.
However, he failed to win over the judge’s sympathy and was also found guilty of physically abusing his pregnant girlfriend, repeatedly hitting her in the stomach, head and back and once throwing a knife at her.
When she threatened to go to the police and expose his illegal activities he told her that he would kill her. Despite her fear she did go to the police and her boyfriend was arrested in September.
When he was taken into police custody he assaulted and injured two security guards, and was ordered by the judge to pay a further €2,500 for their pain and suffering.
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