German law enforcement authorities have discovered over 100 Syrian nationals during searches of various properties as part of their ongoing investigations into alleged migrant smuggling.
A team of over 350 federal police officers carried out the searches as part of their investigation.
According to InfoMigrants, five arrest warrants were issued, with three individuals apprehended in the northern city of Stade and two in the western town of Gladbeck. The police also noted that all five arrested were Syrian asylum seekers who had already resided in Germany.
For their illegal entry into Germany, these Syrian immigrants are said to have paid the smugglers an amount of up to €7,000. The suspects, in turn, used this ill-gotten money to buy gold.
During the operation, investigators confiscated several items, including mobile phones, SIM cards, gold worth around €220,000, and a significant amount of cash totalling €16,000.
Based on the investigations launched last year, the contraband involving the Syrian immigrants was first sent by plane to Greece, where their compatriots provided them with original passports. They were then transported to Germany by various means of transport.
The suspected ringleader of the operation reportedly used the Balkan route as the main entry point. From there, the migrants made their way to Germany using a combination of foot travel, car journeys, and trucks, as reported by German newspaper Spiegel.
Moreover, these police raids took place against the fierce debate over asylum policy in Brandenburg, where administrative districts advocate a stricter approach to asylum procedures.
Last month, German authorities identified a significant influx of irregular border crossings, with a total of 320 migrants attempting to enter the country via the Polish border in southern Brandenburg.
As a result, Berlin police headquarters announced that they had caught 14 smugglers in connection with these irregular border crossings. Most people attempting to enter Germany in this recent surge were identified as Syrian nationals.
During the operation, authorities found 24 migrants from Syria, two from Yemen, and two minors. These individuals were transported in the cargo area without the necessary security measures, thus risking their lives.
In another related incident, authorities arrested a group of 42 individuals from Turkey, including 19 children, at the Cottbus South exit of the A15 motorway. This operation led to the arrest of six suspected smugglers, one of whom was from Turkey and the other five from Georgia.
