A human smuggling operation has been busted by the Romanian and Moldovan authorities with the support of The Hague-based Eurojust. From 2019 to now, that organized crime group has smuggled more than a hundred migrants into EU countries, demanding up to 5,000 euros for the transportation.
Early this week, authorities in Romania searched 11 homes and conducted multiple interrogations after eight more searches were carried out in Moldova on May 16, followed by the arrest of four drivers and their leader. They smuggled migrants from Asia or Africa for amounts ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 euros.
The migrants were smuggled into special areas in trucks created to conceal the human load. The suspects used multiple routes for the smuggling, via Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Turkey.
With the support of Eurojust, the Romanian and Moldovan authorities set up a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to unmask the gang. The suspects include more than twenty Romanian and Moldovan citizens.
In April, several searches, interrogations and asset seizures were carried out in Moldova. Currently, four drivers from Moldova and their organizer have been officially charged with organizing illegal immigration. Authorities were able to conduct 19 searches and several interrogations of suspects. Two detainees from Moldova have now made a full confession.