World
Syrian gang leader arrested over migrant trafficking, drug smuggling
Europol has arrested a Syrian gang leader at the helm of a criminal network on charges related to the smuggling of more than 200 migrants through the Middle East into Europe, and the trafficking of drugs and firearms.
The Syrian – along with 14 other gang members – were arrested in Spain following a global investigation.
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The investigation revealed that the criminal network, possibly active since 2017, was well established in several EU and Middle Eastern countries and used an unusually long and expensive route to smuggle irregular migrants from Syria into the EU.
Starting in Syria, the migrants were taken via Sudan or the UAE towards Libya.
They were taken to Algeria from Libya before the journey into Europe via the Mediterranean. For the final leg of the trip, the suspects facilitated their illegal entry into Spain across the Western Mediterranean.
Syrian nationals are usually smuggled through the Eastern Mediterranean, from Turkey to Greece.
Although some irregular migrants remained in Spain, the final destination countries for most of those who managed to reach Spanish shores were France, Belgium, Germany and Norway.
A Europol-led action day resulted in 13 locations searched, 15 suspects arrested, and a hoard of items linked to criminal activity seized. This included two speed boats, six vehicles, electronic equipment (laptops and a tablet, GPS device, storage devices), drugs, fuel, phones (42 cell phones and two satellite phones), and over $540,000 in cash and documents.
Network spanned nine countries
The criminal network, led by a Syrian suspect, benefited from a widespread infrastructure in the countries along the route, mainly Lebanon, Sudan, Libya and Algeria.
The suspects arranged to smuggle at least 200 migrants through the rarely-used migration route from Syria through Sudan or the United Arab Emirates.
In Libya, the smugglers used corrupt officials to facilitate the transfer to Algeria, from where the migrants were transported to Spain on high-speed boats. In Europe, members of the criminal network based in Belgium, Germany and Spain coordinated the sea crossings and facilitated the secondary movements to the destination countries.
The suspects charged between $7,600 and $21,800 per person for the trip.
The criminal network facilitated the entire logistics of the journey, including transport, paperwork in some countries, flight tickets and accommodation along the route. The ‘VIP service’, which costs up to $21,800, included special extras such as a transfer from the arrival point on the Spanish mainland and accommodation in Spain.
The criminal network implemented stringent security measures to ensure the successful outcome of its illegal operations. The suspects had placed physical and video surveillance at several clandestine points along the coast where the irregular migrants were expected to be brought.
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