Police in Germany and Switzerland have arrested five men suspected of playing leading roles in an international human smuggling network, authorities said on Thursday. Another alleged member of the group is already in custody in Austria, according to Kurier.
The suspects, aged between 25 and 45, are believed to be part of a Syrian-Palestinian smuggling organization that has been under investigation since 2023. According to police in Passau, the group is suspected of organizing at least nine smuggling operations between October 2023 and March 2024, transporting a total of 164 people into Germany.
Investigators say the group first came to attention after about 30 migrants were discovered hidden on the loading areas of vans and trucks near Passau, close to the Austrian border. Authorities believe many of those smuggled were exposed to dangerous and life-threatening conditions during their journeys.
In total, the network is thought to have brought more than 750 undocumented migrants from third countries into Germany. Testimonies from those smuggled suggest that individuals paid around 3,000 euros each for the route from Serbia to Germany, pointing to profits worth millions of euros for the criminal organization.
Law enforcement officials say the investigation is ongoing and involves cooperation across several European countries. Two members of the group have already been convicted in Germany and sentenced to several years in prison.
Meanwhile, four other suspected members are currently being held in Greece, Austria, Slovenia, and Kosovo, either in pre-trial detention, extradition custody, or serving sentences.
Authorities say the arrests mark a significant step in dismantling a network that exploited vulnerable people seeking a better life, often at great personal risk.
