crime
Hundreds of officials across Europe in action against gangs of smugglers
A man is led away by officials in Osnabrück. Photo: Festim Beqiri/Tv7news/dpa
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Hundreds of police officers and public prosecutors have taken action against human smugglers across Europe. In Germany alone, 900 federal police forces were deployed.
Public prosecutors and police authorities have taken action against human smugglers across Europe.
In addition to operations in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Great Britain, there were also police actions in several federal states, said the Osnabrück public prosecutor’s office, which was in charge in Germany.
Results and background are to be presented this Wednesday at a press conference by Eurojust in The Hague. Eurojust, the European Union agency for judicial cooperation in criminal matters, and Europol coordinated the action.
18 suspects arrested in Germany
In Germany alone, 900 forces from the Federal Police and the Osnabrück Police Headquarters were involved in 36 searches of objects in Germany. 18 suspects in Lower Saxony, Bremen, North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg were arrested. They are suspected of having been involved in the gang and commercial smuggling of foreigners.
Smuggling crime in Europe is clearly evident in the English Channel, which many refugees try to cross to Great Britain in rubber boats. From the beginning of the year to June 13, 777 attempts to cross the straits in small boats were registered, as the French interior ministry recently announced. A total of 20,132 people were involved, an increase of 68 percent compared to the same period last year. There was already talk of record numbers for 2021.