A joint operation coordinated by Europol has led to the arrest of five suspected migrant smugglers accused of operating a criminal network that transported migrants along the Balkan migration route from Turkey to Western Europe.
The coordinated raids, carried out by Serbian and Bulgarian authorities on July 16, targeted a network believed to have smuggled a large number of migrants between January and July 2026 through Bulgaria and Serbia before facilitating their onward journeys into Western Europe.
According to Europol, those arrested include one high-value target, two police officers and two alleged associates suspected of participating in the smuggling operation.
Authorities also searched five locations during the operation, seizing three vehicles believed to have been used in migrant smuggling, firearms, ammunition, a radio communication device, mobile phones and approximately €5,700 in cash.
Investigators believe the network primarily smuggled Afghan migrants travelling from Turkey through Bulgaria into Serbia before continuing toward Western Europe.
Europol said migrants were charged around €1,300 per person for the journey. The network allegedly transported migrants through Bulgaria before dropping them near the Bulgarian-Serbian border, where they were given GPS coordinates to cross independently. Once inside Serbia, members of the organisation reportedly collected the migrants, arranged temporary accommodation and organised onward transport.
The investigation found that migrants typically paid around €1,000 for transportation from the Bulgarian-Serbian border to Belgrade and an additional €300 for travel from Belgrade to the Serbian-Hungarian border.
Most payments were reportedly made through the Hawala informal money transfer system, which is commonly used for cross-border financial transactions outside traditional banking channels.
Europol coordinated intelligence sharing between Serbian and Bulgarian authorities throughout the investigation and also funded the deployment of four Bulgarian investigators to Serbia to support the operation.
The agency said the case reflects its growing efforts to combat organised migrant smuggling networks operating across Europe.
To strengthen cross-border cooperation, Europol recently established a dedicated centre focused on tackling migrant smuggling by supporting national investigations with intelligence analysis, operational expertise and coordinated law enforcement actions.
The agency said migrant smuggling remains one of the European Union’s most significant organised crime threats, requiring coordinated action to disrupt recruitment networks, transportation routes and the financial systems that sustain criminal organisations.