On Tuesday morning, Europol arrested 26 suspected members of a large human smuggling gang in the event of simultaneous home raids in Belgium and France, the European police agency reported on Wednesday. The action related to the 39 Vietnamese migrants who were found dead in a truck in England in October.
Sixteen searches took place in Brussels, including thirteen so-called safe houses. Thirteen suspects were arrested and five migrants were found, who may have been victims of the gang. In and around Paris, officers apprehended thirteen people.
The smugglers are mainly involved in smuggling Asian migrants, mainly from Vietnam, according to Europol. Europol suspects that migrant smugglers have transported dozens of people every day in recent months.
Countries are working closely together after a refrigerated truck drama in Essex
Following the discovery of the 39 Vietnamese migrants in a refrigerated trailer in Essex, England, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Ireland, Europol and the European Justice Service Eurojust set up a joint investigation team (JIT). Since then, the parties have worked closely together in both regional and local investigations into migrant smuggling.
The suspects risk imprisonment of one to fifteen years and fines of between 1,000 and 150,000 euros.
Earlier twenty arrests had already been made
About twenty arrests had previously been made in the truck drama case, including in Vietnam. Among them is the driver of the truck.
The victims, including two 15-year-old boys, had been in the refrigerated trailer of the truck for at least ten hours before they were discovered. The car arrived in England by boat from Zeebrugge in Belgium.
According to preliminary research results, the Vietnamese have died from a combination of oxygen starvation and overheating in an enclosed space. This cause of death is still unofficial.
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