Suspected smuggler group: Raid in three federal states

Created: 04/27/2022, 09:17

Federal police officers are standing in front of a house entrance.

© Martin Schutt/dpa

In Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, the federal police took action against a group of suspected smugglers.

A total of eleven apartments were searched on Wednesday morning, a federal police spokesman said.

The MDR had previously reported on the investigation.

According to the spokesman, there were initially no arrests.

However, nine suspects between the ages of 17 and 52 are being investigated.

Erfurt/Halle/Zwickau - This is about the alleged commercial smuggling of people from Eastern Europe to Germany and other EU countries.

Seven apartments in Erfurt, three in Halle and one in Zwickau were searched.

Special forces of the Federal Police were also used.

A total of 250 volunteers were involved.

According to the police, the accused included both the organizers of the transports and the drivers who are said to have carried out the smuggling.

It is still unclear how many such transports were carried out - the police hope the raid will provide further information on such cases.

The previously known transports are said to have brought people mainly from Serbia to other countries.

The smugglers are said to have demanded between 2,000 and 4,000 euros per person for this.

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The public prosecutor's office in Gera, which is primarily responsible for organized crime proceedings in Thuringia, is in charge of the proceedings.

dpa