26 arrested, accused of smuggling thousands of Afghans
Afghan migrants are detained in a Greek port in May 2010.
January 13th, 2011
11:39 AM ET

26 arrested, accused of smuggling thousands of Afghans

Italian police supported by the European Police Agency arrested 26 people this week suspected of smuggling thousands of illegal immigrants from Afghanistan into Europe.

The smuggling network was responsible for transporting about 200 hundreds migrants a month since August 2008, according to a news release from Europol. Twenty percent of those moved through the network were children, the police agency said.

The migrants were first moved through Pakistan, Iran and Turkey into Greece, the agency said. From there, they went through Albania, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro or Bosnia into Rome for transport northward. Most went to the United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden. The migrants could spend from days to weeks in transit, depending upon circumstances.

Migrants paid anywhere from $4,600 to $6,600 for the trip. Money was moved through the system using the “hawala” money transfer network that operates outside of normal banking channels, Europol said.

Most of the 26 arrests were made in Italy, but others were taken into custody in France and Germany, Europol said.

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Filed under: Afghanistan • Europe • France • Germany • Italy • World
soundoff (29 Responses)
  1. tommy pitchford

    Just what are they going thay going to do with all those blankits

    January 14, 2011 at 3:33 am | Report abuse |
  2. tommy pitchford

    K

    January 14, 2011 at 3:57 am | Report abuse |
  3. what

    They should stay in their country and fight he talibans so our hero soldiers can come home.cowards.

    January 14, 2011 at 6:57 am | Report abuse |
  4. what

    Mostly kids yea right adults too.we in usa need to crack down on illegals to who came from middleeast.

    January 14, 2011 at 6:59 am | Report abuse |
  5. Patrick crisman

    wow so if you lived in a awful country wouldn't you want to get into a better country?... its not hard OK, imagine OK just imagine for a sec if you will. If you lived in a country with out running water or electricity wouldn't you want to move to a better country like American or something.

    January 14, 2011 at 11:29 am | Report abuse |
  6. Me

    wow!

    January 14, 2011 at 1:39 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Some one! :) jk jk my name is really J.B who am i?

    Italian police supported by the European Police Agency arrested 26 people this week suspected of smuggling thousands of illegal immigrants from Afghanistan into Europe

    January 14, 2011 at 1:49 pm | Report abuse |
  8. crazymadpeopleareontoppage

    This comment is kind of fishy seems that you are accusing someone like a guessing game. the government looks at the media too!

    January 14, 2011 at 5:09 pm | Report abuse |
  9. edu

    let them stay, they only want to work you fools

    January 14, 2011 at 8:13 pm | Report abuse |
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