A major migrant smuggling network operating along the route from the Greek-Turkish border to other European Union countries has been dismantled in an international operation involving Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and the Netherlands, with support from Europol and the South East European Law Enforcement Center (SELEC).
The criminal organization was active in the area of the Maritsa (Evros) River, which forms part of the border between Greece and Turkey. According to Greek media reports, the group arranged the illegal movement of migrants from the border region to Thessaloniki, from where they were transported onward to destinations across the EU.
The operation followed several months of joint investigative work between the participating countries and resulted in seven arrests. The coordinated raids were carried out simultaneously in Thessaloniki, Athens, Bulgaria and the Netherlands.
Among those detained were six third-country nationals from Syria and Egypt, aged between 23 and 47, as well as one 21-year-old Greek citizen. Authorities also searched 10 properties located in Thessaloniki, Athens and Sofia as part of the investigation.
The case file includes 13 individuals suspected of involvement in the network. Three of them had already been imprisoned for previous offenses linked to similar criminal activities.
