Europol has arrested 12 individuals in Romania in collaboration with Austrian Police and the Italian Carabinieri Corps.
The crackdown targeted a criminal syndicate primarily made up of Romanian and Pakistani nationals operating through companies based in Romania.
According to a report issued by Europol, the network is accused of facilitating the entry of Bengali, Egyptian, and Pakistani nationals into Romania using fraudulently obtained work visas, SchengenVisaInfo reports.
These visas are suspected to have been obtained by fraudulent authorities.
Further investigations have revealed that several Romanian companies, under the management of local nationals associated with the criminal group, were also involved in obtaining work permits and visas through fraud.
The syndicate applied for 509 work permits in Romania and successfully obtained permits for 102 migrants. These migrants, armed with illicit visas, entered Romania illegally.
As Europol explains, 76 of these individuals are believed to have subsequently moved to other EU countries.
29 Locations Searched in €1 Million Migrant Trafficking Case
During the investigation, authorities also located 26 migrants across Romania, Italy, and Austria.
The criminal group reportedly charged migrants between €5,000 and €6,000 for facilitating their entry into Romania and an additional €2,000 to €5,000 for helping them move to other EU nations.
Moreover, the criminal syndicate is estimated to have amassed illegal profits exceeding €1 million. The operation covered 29 search locations, including two in Austria, six in Italy, and 21 in Romania.
The seizures from these locations comprised luxury vehicles, electronic gadgets, vital documents, and a sum equivalent to over €146,000 in various currencies.
Authorities from several countries, including Romania, Italy, and Austria, detected a number of these migrants either during their border crossings or within the territories of other EU nations.
In Italy and Austria, authorities were on high alert due to the network’s activities.
A notable incident occurred in Italy where authorities intercepted 45 irregular migrants walking along the Italian-Slovenian border.
Over 1,200 Deportations from Romania in 2023
As previously reported by SchengenVisaInfo, last year, Romania forcibly returned a total of 1,222 individuals to their home countries.
Bangladesh topped the list, with approximately 400 nationals being deported.
The data provided by Romania’s General Inspectorate for Immigration revealed a diverse range of nationalities among those deported.
Sri Lanka followed with 104 individuals, while India and Moldova had 88 and 58 deportations, respectively. Additionally, 52 people from Egypt, 39 from Morocco, 32 from Vietnam, and three from Syria were also among those who returned to their home countries.
Source: Schengen Visa Info
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