European investigations bust human trafficking gang

ROME (AA) – A European investigation has led to the arrest of 15 people accused of smuggling people from Syria to EU countries.

According to the investigation, the network used an unusually long and expensive route to smuggle migrants into Europe.

From Syria, the migrants were headed either to Sudan, the United Arab Emirates or Libya.

They were then smuggled to Algeria and finally asked to cross the Mediterranean Sea to end up in Spain.

Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, said in a statement that this criminal network has extensive infrastructure in countries along the route.

Authorities from Spain, Germany and Norway have joined the investigation.

The suspects are believed to have organized the smuggling of at least 200 migrants along this route.

They give money to corrupt officials to help them bring migrants from Libya to Algeria.

They then arrange speedboats to take them across the Mediterranean to Spain.

The criminal network, based in Belgium, Germany and Spain, also coordinates the crossings.

The investigation also uncovered a much lesser-known route that smugglers use to bring Syrians to Europe.

Normally, Syrian and other irregular migrants from the Middle East are smuggled to Europe via the eastern Mediterranean route.

In early June, an Italian investigation arrested four Afghan nationals in France and Germany accused of smuggling migrants.

According to Europol, the latest investigation found that the suspects charged migrants between $7,630 and $20,800 per person for their smuggling to Europe.

The criminal network handled all the logistics of the journey, including paperwork in some countries, airline tickets and accommodation along the route.

During the investigation, authorities seized two speedboats, six vehicles, electronic devices such as laptops and GPS, drugs, fuel, 42 cell phones and two satellite phones, documents and over 500,000 euros in cash