The criminal group was also helped by the police - Europol strikes the migrant smuggling network through Serbia

A wide-ranging international investigation, coordinated by the Europol task force, has led to the dismantling of an organised criminal network involved in migrant smuggling along the Balkan route.

Serbian authorities, in cooperation with Bulgarian law enforcement agencies, arrested five suspects, including the group's leader and two active police officers.

The network, based in Pirot, Serbia, is suspected of smuggling at least 201 migrants, mainly Afghan nationals, from Turkey through Bulgaria and Serbia to Western European countries between January and July 2026.

During the operation, three vehicles used to transport migrants, firearms, ammunition, radios, mobile phones, as well as around 5,700 euros and 40,000 Serbian dinars were seized.

According to the investigation, the network had been operating since 2025. Migrants were transported from Turkey to Bulgaria, then illegally crossed the border into Serbia following pre-determined GPS coordinates, where members of the criminal group would wait for them. They would provide them with temporary shelter and onward transportation.

The price for transportation from the Bulgarian border to Belgrade was 1,000 euros per person, with another 300 euros paid for the journey to the Hungarian border. Payments were made mainly through the informal Hawala money transfer system.

The success of the operation was contributed by the close cooperation between the regional police forces. Four Bulgarian investigators were sent to Serbia to support the operation, while Europol deployed a specialized expert on the day of the operation. /Telegraph/ ...