Italy, Greece, Albania Dismantle Crime Ring Smuggling Migrants To Europe - Europol

Italy, Greece, Albania Dismantle Crime Ring Smuggling Migrants to Europe - Europol

Law enforcement agencies from Italy, Greece and Albania, in conjunction with the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), have busted a human trafficking ring which smuggled migrants from Turkey to Europe, Europol said on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2022) Law enforcement agencies from Italy, Greece and Albania, in conjunction with the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), have busted a human trafficking ring which smuggled migrants from Turkey to Europe, Europol said on Wednesday.

"An investigation involving the Albanian Criminal Police (Policia e Shtetit), the Hellenic Police... and the Italian Financial Corps (Guardia di Finanza), and supported by Europol and Eurojust, led to the dismantling of a large organised crime group involved in migrant smuggling," Europol said in a statement.

The operation resulted in 28 house searches and 29 arrests, 18 in Albania, one in Greece and ten in Italy.

"Authorities believe that the suspects, mainly of Iraqi and Syrian origin, are part of a criminal network of about 80 members that is allegedly responsible for at least 30 sea smuggling operations. The criminal group operated migrant smuggling activities from Turkey to the Salento coast of Italy via Albania and Greece, then to other EU countries," Europol added.

In recent years, the EU has been struggling with a migration crisis as people from Africa and the middle East, fleeing poverty and war, try to cross the Mediterranean and reach the continent. The influx of people helped create a burgeoning criminal industry dedicated to transporting migrants to Europe by illicit means.