Europol‑backed operation dismantles Balkan migrant smuggling network

Greek authorities, supported by Europol, carried out a coordinated raid on 16 July 2026 that broke up an organised criminal network moving migrants through the Balkans. The ring, composed mainly of Syrian, Egyptian, Iraqi and other nationals, used rented, stolen and fraudulently registered vehicles to transport people from Greece via Bulgaria and Romania before handing them over to trucks for the final leg to Italy.

Operations took place in Thessaloniki and Athens (Greece), Sofia (Bulgaria), Bucharest (Romania) and Etten‑Leur (Netherlands). Seven suspects were arrested – five in Greece, one in Bulgaria and one in the Netherlands – and investigators linked the group to twelve smuggling incidents recorded between February and July 2026, with four earlier cases still under review. The network operated through autonomous "cells" in the three Balkan states, constantly adapting its methods to evade detection.