Fifteen people have been arrested in a large police operation against a group of migrant smugglers working across Europe. The arrests happened in Germany, Belgium, and earlier in Poland. The operation was led by Europol and supported by Eurojust, which helps countries work together on legal cases.
Seven suspects were arrested during a special “action day”—six in Belgium and one in Germany. This followed earlier raids in Poland, where eight people were arrested in connection with the same smuggling network. The entire group is believed to have helped up to 300 non-EU citizens enter the EU illegally between 2022 and 2024.
The case started when German police stopped a driver during a routine immigration check in September 2024. His documents were not correct, and police suspected he had smuggled three people that same day. That led to a bigger investigation that revealed a much larger smuggling operation.
Most of the suspects appeared to be living in Belgium. They acted as key links between smuggling partners in Germany and Poland. Their job was to find drivers and manage the money made from smuggling. In Poland, the connected group also smuggled migrants from the Middle East and was involved in drug trafficking, including cocaine and marijuana.
Some of the smugglers used legal transport companies in Poland to hide their activities. They moved groups of up to 12 people at a time through the Balkan route. Authorities believe the network may also be linked to Polish football hooligans, who are known to be part of criminal activities in the region.
How were the migrant smugglers caught?
The smugglers were caught after a simple police check in Germany led to a wider investigation across the EU, helped by Europol and Eurojust.
Europol helped plan the operation and supported police from different countries. They held meetings and sent investigators to help check information quickly during the arrests. Eurojust also helped by making sure police and legal teams in different countries shared details and worked together smoothly.
Police from Austria, Belgium, Germany, and Poland were all part of this operation. The arrests mark another big step in fighting international smuggling and organized crime across Europe.