MADRID (AFP): Spanish police have dismantled a network smuggling hundreds of Pakistani migrants into the European Union (EU) from the Balkans, cramming the migrants into trucks under “life-threatening conditions.”
The smugglers took mainly Pakistani migrants from refugee camps in Bosnia-Herzegovina, then would transport them via van to Italy, or in some cases Spain, the European Union law enforcement agency said.
“Transported in life-threatening conditions in cars, vans or trucks, they often spend days confined with little or no supplies,” the EU law enforcement agency added.
The months-long investigation involved law enforcement authorities from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Romania, France, and Slovenia, together with Europol and Eurojust, the European Union’s agency for judicial cooperation.
During the operation, Croatian police intercepted a lorry transporting 77 Pakistani migrants in a space measuring just eight square metres (86 square feet), a Spanish police statement said.
“The migrants, including four minors, travelled in crowded and subhuman conditions, and were forced to make several holes in the roof to be able to breathe so the police action prevented what could have been a tragedy,” it said.
Europol said each person was charged between 5,000 and 8,000 euros ($5,800-$9,200) for the trip. Spanish police said they suspect the ring smuggled “at least 400 migrants” into the EU in recent months, earning over 2.0 million euros ($2.3 million).
However, they believe the Spain-based ring has been active “for several years, so the total number of migrants smuggled in is much higher”. During the operation, police arrested 15 people — 12 in Spain and one each in Croatia, Slovenia, and Romania.
The risks of smuggling migrants into Europe by truck were laid bare in October 2019 after 39 people, all believed to be Vietnamese nationals, were found dead in a refrigerated truck near London.
