Five arrests in Serbia – including the alleged main suspect and two police officers

An investigation coordinated by Europol has led to the dismantling of an alleged people-smuggling network believed to have transported migrants to Western Europe via the so-called Balkan route. During a joint operation by Serbian and Bulgarian law enforcement agencies, five people were arrested in Serbia – including a main suspect classified as a High Value Target (HVT), two police officers and two other alleged members of the organisation.

The investigation targets a network believed to have been active since 2025 and alleged to have smuggled, in particular, Afghan nationals via Turkey, Bulgaria and Serbia towards Western Europe. Between January and July 2026 alone, the group is accused of smuggling a large number of migrants.

Raids at five locations

As part of the operation, investigators searched a total of five properties. Three vehicles were seized which, according to the authorities, were used for smuggling journeys. The officers also confiscated firearms and ammunition, a radio station, mobile phones and cash amounting to around 5,700 euros and 40,000 Serbian dinars.

The case has taken on particular significance following the arrest of two police officers accused of involvement in the activities of the people-smuggling network.

Organised people-smuggling across the “green border”

According to investigators’ findings, the migrants first travelled from Turkey to Bulgaria. There, they were dropped off near the so-called green border between Bulgaria and Serbia and crossed it on their own. They were then picked up by members of the people-smuggling network at pre-arranged GPS coordinates.

According to the investigators, the organisation provided the migrants with temporary accommodation and subsequently arranged for their onward transport via Serbia to the Hungarian border and from there on to western EU states.

The migrants are said to have paid around 1,000 euros per person for transport from the Bulgarian-Serbian border area to Belgrade. A further 300 euros was demanded for the onward journey to the Serbian-Hungarian border. According to investigators, the majority of the payments were made via the informal hawala financial system, which is frequently used for cross-border money transfers outside the regular banking system.

Europol coordinated international investigations

The investigations were conducted as part of a special Europol Operational Task Force, which focuses on combating people-smuggling networks along the Balkan route. Europol coordinated several operational meetings between the authorities involved and facilitated the exchange of information.

With financial support from the EU, Europol deployed four Bulgarian investigators to Serbia to assist the local authorities during the operation. On the day of the operation itself, a Europol expert was also on site, carrying out real-time data checks against European information systems and providing operational support to the national investigators.

The task force was established back in September 2023. Its aim is the coordinated fight against cross-border people-smuggling organisations operating along the Balkan route. Serbia has also recently joined the initiative.

New Europol Centre against Smuggling

Europol continues to regard the smuggling of migrants as one of the most significant forms of organised crime within the European Union. According to the agency, combating these networks requires close international cooperation across the entire criminal value chain – from the recruitment of migrants through transit routes to financial flows.

To strengthen European cooperation, EU Regulation 2025/2611 was adopted in December 2025. On this basis, the European Centre Against Migrant Smuggling (ECAMS) began its work at Europol in March 2026.

The new centre of expertise is intended to improve the systematic exchange of information between Member States and to further expand operational cooperation. Its priorities include, amongst other things, the analysis of openly available information (OSINT), financial investigations and closer cooperation with Frontex, Eurojust and national law enforcement agencies.

The General Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (GDBOP) on the Bulgarian side and the Directorate for Criminal Police and the Service for Combating Organised Crime (SBPOK) on the Serbian side were involved in the current operation.