European authorities have apprehended twenty-one individuals in a concerted law enforcement operation aimed at dismantling a syndicate engaged in trafficking migrants from Iraq into the European Union through Belarus and Russia, Europol announced on Thursday.
The arrested individuals primarily hail from Egypt, Iraq, and Syria, with fifteen of them detained in Poland, disclosed the law enforcement agency.
“Operating through a criminal network, the traffickers facilitated the passage of migrants from Iraq through Russia and Belarus into the EU, with Germany and the United Kingdom being identified as primary destination countries,” Europol, headquartered in The Hague, elaborated.
The development comes in the wake of a tragic incident earlier this week where five migrants, including a child, lost their lives while attempting to cross the English Channel from France. In response, several European governments, including the UK, have expressed their determination to intensify efforts in combatting illegal immigration.
