As a result of a joint operation by Polish border guards and Europol, 11 people involved in organizing illegal migration from Belarus and Russia to Western Europe were detained.
This was reported by RMF24.
About 120 law enforcement officers took part in the operation, which was conducted by the Podlasie Border Guard Department. During the searches of 11 apartments and more than ten vehicles, computer equipment, communications equipment, documents and 80,000 PLN in cash were seized.
The detainees are citizens of Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and Russia. They are charged with organizing the illegal crossing of the Polish border. Six suspects were taken into custody.
According to the investigation, the criminal group organized the smuggling of at least 600 illegal migrants. The main activity of the detainees was to find couriers to transport migrants from the Belarusian to the German border. One of the suspects, a Russian citizen, used his own car rental company to provide transportation.
Since the beginning of the year, the Podlasie Border Guard Department has detained 321 organizers of illegal migration, 66 of whom are in custody. Representatives of Europol are constantly working on the territory of the department to coordinate joint actions to combat illegal migration.