Border police enforced search warrants targetting an organized criminal group involved in cross-border migrant trafficking

Border police implemented 5 of the 6 home search warrants carried out within Timiș and Arad counties, in a case regarding the commission of the crimes of an organized criminal group, cross-border and migrant trafficking.

The action was carried out as a result of the expansion of the investigations in question and the indictment, on 07.06.2023, of a number of 10 defendants and 8 suspects (some of the defendants being under preventive measures)

It was noted that, in the period 2022-2023, several persons of Romanian and Turkish nationality, coordinated from outside the country by Turkish and Syrian citizens, constituted a cross-border organized criminal group with the aim of committing the crime of migrant trafficking (of Turkish origin and Iraqi), on the Turkey-Bulgaria/Serbia-Romania-Germany route.

Thus, on the territory of Romania, several criminal cells were established that acted in a unitary manner to facilitate the fraudulent crossing of the southern border of Romania, (both with Bulgaria and Serbia) of illegal groups of migrants and the recruitment of foreign workers in legality on the territory of Romania (with work visas) that they temporarily hosted in various locations located in the western area of ​​Romania, for the purpose of fraudulently crossing the state border between Romania and Hungary, with the final destination Germany.

The criminal cells were permanently coordinated from outside the country, with the leaders of the organized crime group being based in Turkey, Germany and Serbia.

In carrying out the criminal activities, these leaders rounded up several people, predominantly Romanian citizens, with the role of local transporters, who, in order to acquire important material gains in a short period of time, joined the organized criminal group and developed at the national level own carrier networks.

On the organizational level, the leaders of the criminal group illegally introduced migrants into Romania, recruited migrants from among foreign workers legally in Romania (with work visas), proceeded to their temporary concentration in various rented locations in the municipalities of Timișoara and Arad or in residences of members of the group, identified and used optimal means of transport in Germany (by fraudulently crossing the Romanian-Hungarian state border) using professional drivers who disguised the migrants in the means of transport or organizing the passage of migrants on foot, through the areas located between the crossing points of the state border of Romania.

For the illegal transfer and transport of migrants, the suspects used vehicles as antecedents, the drivers involved being permanently trained and coordinated by the transport organizers by transmitting the boarding/disembarking locations, real-time communication of the risks generated by the presence in traffic of some police crews, as well as the management of the resources needed for transport.

During the investigations, four migrant transports were intercepted at the Nădlac and Turnu crossing points.

The activities were carried out on the basis of a joint investigation agreement concluded by the authorities of Germany, Serbia and Romania.

During this day, 5 people are to be brought to the headquarters of DIICOT – Central Structure for hearings, based on warrants, and other people will be heard at the headquarters of BCCO – Timișoara.