Authorities have uncovered a well-organized Syrian smuggling network responsible for illegally moving up to 480 migrants daily into the European Union via the Balkan route.
The network, active for several years, is believed to have generated profits nearing €10 million. Migrants reportedly paid between €2,500 and €4,500 each, depending on the route and risk involved.
The investigation, coordinated by prosecutors in Weiden with support from the Munich Federal Police Criminal Investigation Department, Europol, Eurojust, and law enforcement in the Netherlands and Bosnia-Herzegovina, led to the arrest of five suspects on August 7th.
Authorities seized mobile phones, vehicles used for transporting migrants, and small amounts of drugs.
In response to rising illegal migration, Germany plans to extend border controls beyond mid-September and increase federal police presence from 11,000 to 14,000 officers. Deportations of convicted migrants to Afghanistan and Syria will also resume.
In the Netherlands, the revelations prompted a strong political response, with PVV leader Geert Wilders calling for strict border closures and the immediate return of Syrian migrants to their home country.
