Overview
- Europol said eight suspects were arrested across France, Germany and Hungary in raids carried out March 29–30, including a network leader in Germany and a senior organiser in Hungary.
- The network moved Vietnamese nationals into the EU via Hungarian visas, flew them to Paris, then sent them to northern France to a Kurdish-Iraqi group that ran small-boat crossings to Britain.
- Investigators said the gang moved at least 15 people a month and charged up to €22,000 per person, which could total about €3 million in recent years.
- Police seized passports, vehicles, electronic devices and cash during the operation, and Europol said social media helped the group recruit customers and move money out of sight.
- The UK National Crime Agency carried out linked March 30 raids in Wrexham, Newcastle and Birmingham that detained several suspects as cross-border cases and extradition steps now proceed.