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German, Italian Police Arrest Suspected Migrant Smuggling Syndicate Members

© AP Photo / Lefteris Pitarakis, FileIn this June 14, 2015 file photo taken from the Turkish side of the border between Turkey and Syria, in Akcakale, Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey, thousands of Syrian refugees walk in order to cross into Turkey
In this June 14, 2015 file photo taken from the Turkish side of the border between Turkey and Syria, in Akcakale, Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey, thousands of Syrian refugees walk in order to cross into Turkey - Sputnik International
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Individuals suspected of being affiliated with a criminal network involved in the smuggling and trafficking of Syrian migrants have been arrested by police in both Germany and Italy, EU law enforcement said in a press release Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the press release, the criminal network is mostly comprised of Lebanese nationals who are suspected of smuggling 29 Syrians into Germany via Hungary and Austria since June 2016.

Syrian refugees stand inside the Moria camp during the demostration against the deal between EU and Turkey, on March 24, 2016 in Lesbos. - Sputnik International
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"On 5 January 2017, the German Federal Police conducted several house searches in Berlin and executed two arrest warrants in Moenchengladbach and in Germany's capital city. At the same time, Italian authorities arrested a suspect in Bolzano (Italy)," Europol said in the press release.

In November, Austrian authorizes were successful in dismantling a Vienna-based criminal cell thought to be in close connection with the German network, the release added.

According to Europol, more than 90 percent of migrants coming to the European Union are facilitated by members of a criminal network. The law enforcement group also noted that that migrant smuggling is an attractive and low-risk crime, which had an estimated average yearly turnover of $5-6 billion in 2015.

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