Authorities in Bulgaria have arrested 18 people in a large operation targeting a group that smuggled Syrian migrants from Türkiye to Western Europe. The raid was carried out on June 3 with support from Europol and police forces from Greece, Romania, and Moldova.
The criminal group used different types of vehicles, including vans, trucks, tourist caravans, and even car assistance platforms, to transport the migrants. Many of the vehicles had hidden compartments specially built in Türkiye, Bulgaria, and Romania to hide people during the journey.
These vehicles could travel long distances without stopping at shelters or checkpoints, helping smugglers move migrants more quickly and without being caught. One of those arrested was a high-value suspect who played a major role in the network.
The smugglers mainly targeted Syrian migrants who had already crossed into Türkiye. From there, they were charged between €5,000 and €6,000 to reach the EU. Before that, migrants had to pay up to €2,500 to enter Türkiye from Syria.
The gang recruited drivers both locally in Bulgaria and through online platforms. In one related case, Bulgarian intelligence found eight migrants hidden in floor compartments of a caravan in Türkiye.
To support their smuggling operations, the criminals used counterfeit documents, including driving licenses and vehicle registration papers from Romania, Greece, and the UK. Since June 2024, at least 14 smuggling attempts have been linked to this group, with cases reported in Bulgaria, Greece, France, and Türkiye.
The group also used secret financial methods like the Hawala system to transfer money between Türkiye and Bulgaria. Some payments were made through Western Union with the help of a middleman.
Europol has been involved since the beginning of the investigation, helping share intelligence and coordinate actions across countries. On the day of the raid, Europol dispatched a specialist to Bulgaria to assist in real-time data verification and support officers on the ground.