The judicial and police authorities have succeeded in striking a serious blow against human smuggling.
Munich Airport plays a key role in the success of the investigation.
Airport/Brussels - Now the gang was on trial in Brussels.
In total, fines of more than two million euros and 40 years in prison were imposed.
The head of the gang was sentenced to ten years in prison and a fine of 1.2 million euros.
The court went even further than the public prosecutor.
Stefan Bayer from the Federal Police reports on the success of the international investigation at the airport.
According to him, it started on October 9, 2020, when a Hawker Beechcraft 400A private jet landed at Munich Airport.
An Iraqi family of four escaped from him and presented fake diplomatic IDs.
Federal police noticed this during immigration control.
The father (49), mother and the seven and twelve year old children said they had paid 60,000 euros for the smuggling from Turkey to Europe.
This was the first crack in the larger smuggling network.
According to Bayer, the federal police caused several flights to Memmingen Airport to be canceled because the criminals used the same scam here.
The case took on European dimensions, involving investigative authorities in Austria, Italy, France and Great Britain, as well as Europol and other investigation units.
In 2021, a main suspect was identified - an Egyptian.
He had seven accomplices, including his wife, who lived near Brussels and in Rome.
Both were arrested in September 2022 and his house and rented aircraft hangar were searched.
Among other things, 30,000 euros in cash, 137,000 euros in accounts, counterfeit equipment, a Mercedes and, last but not least, two small aircraft to transport the traffickers were seized.
Officers arrested five accomplices.
The network has now been brought to justice in Brussels.
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