Thirteen individuals linked to a Serbian gang, known as El Tetouani, have been apprehended by the Office for Combating Illicit Trafficking of Migrants (OLTIM) for their involvement in organizing a migrant smuggling network between the Maghreb and France via the Balkan route. The arrests were made on Tuesday, April 9, following an investigation initiated by the National Jurisdiction responsible for combating organized crime (Junalco) in 2022.
The operation, which targeted the El Tetouani gang, named after the Moroccan city of Tetouan, the leader’s hometown, aimed to dismantle a sophisticated smuggling network facilitating the illegal migration of individuals from North Africa to France via Serbia. Initial suspicions were raised when the parcel transport company DHL reported the recurring presence of authentic Tunisian passports in parcels originating from Serbia and destined for Île-de-France.
Further investigation revealed that migrants from the Maghreb region traveled to Serbia, where they handed over their identity documents to smugglers before retrieving them upon reaching France. This modus operandi exploited Serbia’s previous visa-free entry policy for Tunisian nationals, which changed in November 2022, now requiring Tunisians to apply for visas due to European pressure.
Serbia, positioned as a transit country along the Balkan route, has become a hotspot for criminal gangs facilitating migrant movements, particularly toward Western Europe. The porous borders and criminal activities along the route, especially in border areas with Hungary, have led to frequent clashes between rival smuggler factions, often involving the use of weapons.
The proliferation of firearms, including Kalashnikovs, in Serbia’s smuggling operations poses a significant challenge for law enforcement agencies, both domestically and internationally. Smugglers have been known to exploit corruption within the Serbian police force to facilitate their illicit activities, further complicating efforts to combat migrant trafficking.
In France, the Office for Combating Illicit Trafficking of Migrants (OLTIM) is tasked with dismantling smuggling networks, employing specialized techniques to overcome smugglers’ adaptability and evasion tactics. Collaborating with Europol, OLTIM identified key members of the Tetouani network operating across multiple countries along the Balkan route.
The recent arrests targeted various individuals involved in the smuggling operation, including logistics, finance, document forgery, and accommodation. While some suspects remain in police custody, others have been remanded in pre-trial detention, signaling a significant blow to the El Tetouani gang’s operations.