In Berlin and Brandenburg, three alleged smugglers have been apprehended by the German Federal Police, who are believed to have been trafficking migrants from the Balkans to Germany with vans and cars.
The operation involved deploying about 140 federal police officers and an additional 80 officers from various other federal states, spanning multiple locations, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
According to local media, following months of thorough investigations, the Federal Police, in collaboration with the Brandenburg state police, apprehended a person during a raid on Wiecker Straße in the Neu-Hohenschönhausen district of Lichtenberg.
Meanwhile, two other arrested people were arrested in Dallgow-Döberitz and Luckenwalde in Brandenburg. The individuals in question are nationals of Syria, Germany, and Serbia. It is also said that the origins of the links within this illegal smuggling organisation can be traced back to Serbia.
A spokesperson for the Federal Police revealed that a group of ten men, aged between 20 and 43, are facing charges of systematically smuggling individuals into Germany for commercial gain. Moreover, some members of the group are involved in drug trafficking and consumption.
On the other hand, a 30-year-old Syrian, who is believed to be a key figure in the operation, was captured in Berlin-Lichtenberg. As the Police explains, he is accused of orchestrating smuggling activities and, in some cases, of personally driving vans involved in illegal operations.
Cases of Migrant Smuggler Arrests Becoming More Frequent
Last month, German authorities launched extensive raids in five states and issued arrest warrants against five individuals suspected of involvement in migrant smuggling activities.
The warrants were directed at two women and a man in the northern town of Stade, as well as a woman and a man in the western city of Gladbeck. The operations, which included multiple locations, saw the active involvement of over 350 German federal police officers.
As part of their ongoing investigations into suspected migrant smuggling, the Police also have uncovered more than 100 Syrian nationals during searches conducted at various properties.
Moreover, previous data released by the German Police showed that more than 21,366 individuals entered the country without authorisation in September of this year.
The same source said this figure represents the highest monthly count since February 2016. It also surpassed the previous record set during the peak of the “refugee crisis” during the same period when 25,650 people arrived.
Further data also revealed that between January and September 2023, a total of 92,119 individuals irregularly entered Germany. There are growing concerns that if this trend continues, the country may exceed the 112,000 individuals who entered irregularly in 2016.