14 people crammed together in the hold: this illegal transport in June 2022 was the starting point for the attack on a whole gang of smugglers. Ten men are said to have smuggled hundreds of migrants through Austria between spring and autumn 2022, earning a million.
When the border police waved a van off on the southern highway A2, the driver, a 27-year-old Afghan, embarked on a daring maneuver and began a kilometer-long chase with the patrol car. When the police were able to arrest the man, it soon became clear why: the agents found 14 people in the hold of the German vehicle, packed together!
Ten suspects identified
The driver was arrested, suspected of making an illegal transport from Vienna to Italy and of being a member of a smuggling organisation. This June 2022 incident was the starting point for further investigation. In fact, police were able to locate a total of nine other men – all asylum seekers registered in Germany.
International arrest warrants were issued. Eight of the Iranian and Iraqi citizens were arrested in Germany and extradited to Austria. They are currently held in Graz-Jakomini Prison. Another is still imprisoned in Germany. The 27-year-old Afghan has already been sentenced to several years in prison.
Smugglers made a million
In the course of the investigation, it turned out that the suspects had committed numerous smuggling actions of several hundred people from Slovakia and the Czech Republic via Austria to Italy and Germany, at least in the period from spring to autumn 2022. They asked about 4000 euros per person, which amounts to a total profit of about 1 million euros.
The smuggling may have been inhumane and life-threatening for the migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey and Afghanistan: no place for hours, no seats or restraints, no fresh air or a supply of food or water.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
