Chechen migrant smuggling gang dismantled in Austria

(BRUSSELS2) A migrant smuggling gang, of Chechen origin, was dismantled in Austria by the Austrian and Hungarian police, supported by Europol's European center against illegal immigration (EMSC), on Thursday (21 July). And 7 suspects were arrested in Austria and one in Hungary. This allows to know a little more about this network and their methods.

This group consisted of 25 Russian nationals of Chechen origin residing in Austria. The key animator recruited drivers in Austria to then deploy them in Hungary. He was in constant contact with “recruiters” responsible for recruiting migrants from the refugee camps in Hungary. The criminal network is thus suspected of having smuggled more than 200 people.

Illegal migrants - of Afghan, Iranian, Iraqi and Syrian nationality - paid around 300 euros per person to go from Hungary to Vienna, 700 to 800 euros to go from Hungary to Germany. In order to avoid detection by the police, the traffickers used alternative routes to enter Austria, via Slovakia.

At least ten cases of trafficking have thus been detected in Austria, Germany, Hungary and Slovakia by the authorities in the last two months. And drivers arrested in Austria and Slovakia. In the following days, several other suspects involved were identified and arrested in turn.

(NGV)