Balkan Smuggling Network Dismantled

Authorities in Bulgaria, Greece, the Netherlands and Romania have arrested seven people suspected of belonging to an organised migrant-smuggling network operating across the Balkans, Europol said. The group allegedly transported migrants from Greece through Bulgaria and Romania before arranging their onward journey to Italy.

The coordinated operation on July 16 resulted in five arrests in Greece and one each in Bulgaria and the Netherlands. Investigators have linked the network to 12 migrant-smuggling incidents recorded between February and July 2026, while four earlier cases remain under investigation.

According to Europol, the suspects used rented, stolen and fraudulently registered vehicles to move migrants and evade detection. The network allegedly relied on small cars for cross-border transport before transferring migrants to lorries bound for Italy, with vehicles obtained using genuine or forged identity documents, third parties and front companies.

The investigation was led by Greek authorities with support from Europol, which helped analyse intelligence and identify links between cases. Europol also deployed an expert and mobile office to Greece during the operation to provide real-time database checks and assist coordination among the participating authorities.