Europe

Europe targets human smugglers

Article published on the 2008-06-24 Latest update 2008-07-10 14:57 TU

African immigrants try to land in the Canaries
(Photo: AFP)

Police in Europe have arrested 75 people suspected of trafficking illegal immigrants, mainly Iraqi Kurds, into northern Europe. Dubbed "Operation Baghdad", the sweep targeted a network, believed to have brought hundreds of people from Iraq and Afghanistan. The largest number of arrests were in France.

Paris prosecutors said police had uncovered a "well-structured transnational cell" and arrested 24 people in Paris and other French towns and cities.

In France, one of the main organisers is suspected of having smuggled about 280 people between July 2007 and January this year.

The Paris prosecutor's office said those arrested here were of Moroccan, Tunisian, Turkish and French origin.

"All suspects are said to be involved in the clandestine smuggling of a large number of illegal immigrants into and within the European Union," said a joint statement by Europol and Eurojust - a network of European judicial authorities.

"This was one of the largest co-ordinated actions against people smugglers ever."

Multiple raids In Belgium led to the detention of ten people during raids in the capital, Brussels, and in nearby city of Leuven. Some of those detained are believed to be ring leaders, Belgian police officials said.

Another seven people were arrested in Germany. Horst Hund, a German prosecutor spokesman, said the seven people were among 15 individuals that authorities have been investigating since the beginning of the year.

In Sweden, 12 people were detained, while in the Netherlands, border police in the northern city of Leeuwarden arrested three men.