Europol Says Breaks Up Migrant-Smuggling Ring

Sun, 15 Dec 2019

Europol Says Breaks Up Migrant-Smuggling Ring

RFE
15 Nov 2019, 04:15 GMT+10

The European Union law enforcement agency says police forces across the continent have finished a two-year investigation into a 'massive' criminal ring that was using trucks to smuggle migrants into Western Europe.

Europol said on November 14 that police in Romania detained four suspected members of the gang, which smuggled nearly 580 migrants from outside Europe through the city of Timisoara in western Romania and then westward.

Numerous migrants have lost their lives in recent years after being crammed into truck-trailers, lacking enough air or water, for the journey across Europe.

Europol said the probe was launched by German police last year and also involved authorities in Austria, Greece, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Britain.

The agency said the gang was composed of at least 36 people who earned more than 2 million euros ($2.2 million).

With reporting by AP

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Republished with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Switzerland Times.

More Information

11 ℃

Partly Cloudy in Bern

Europe Business

Section

Airbus to supply Ireland with two C 295s for maritime surveillance

DUBLIN, Ireland - The government of Ireland has awarded a contract for the provision of two new Maritime Patrol Aircraft ...

Johnson party looks set for overwhelming victory in UK elections

LONDON - Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party will win an overwhelming victory in Britain's election with a majority of ...

Arsenal's Tierney out for 3 months with dislocated shoulder

London - Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney is facing up to three months out with a dislocated shoulder.The Scotland international suffered ...

Johnson's Win May Deliver Brexit But Could Risk UK's Breakup

Leaving the European Union is not the only split British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has to worry about.Johnson's commanding election ...

'Let The Healing Begin,' British Prime Minister Says After Election

Britain "deserves a break from wrangling, a break from politics and a permanent break from talking about Brexit," British Prime ...

Victorious Johnson urges Britain to move past Brexit splits

Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on Britons on Friday to put years of bitter divisions over the country's EU membership ...

International

Section

Are Israel's Militant Tendency Conspiring against the Left?

Last Easter an antisemitism crisis erupted in the UK setting the Jewish Community against the Labour Party, or more precisely ...

New Alan Dershowizt book takes aim at Epstein accuser

On December 30, 2015, in a court in Florida, Alan Dershowitz, was accused of having had sex on seven occasions ...

Trump wins reprieve on having to release tax returns

WASHINGTON, DC - In a big development, the United States' Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear appeals from President ...

Six of 8 bodies extracted after White Island volcano eruption

AUCKLAND, New Zealand - New Zealand Defence Force and police officers successfully recovered six bodies from Whakaari/White Island on Friday, ...

Johnson party looks set for overwhelming victory in UK elections

LONDON - Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party will win an overwhelming victory in Britain's election with a majority of ...

Holy Sites to be off-limits for Gazan Christians this Christmas

BETHLEHEM, Palestinian territories - Israel announced Thursday that Christians in the Gaza Strip will be barred from visiting Holy cities ...

Movie Review

The Last Command

Last Command