Massive operation in Austria: Police broke tractor network

Austrian police managed to attack a gang of smugglers. Authorities arrested 15 people who are believed to have brought 700 people into the country. Many refugees have already gone to Germany.

In Austria, police uncovered a network of smugglers who are said to have illegally brought more than 700 people into the country. Most of them had made their way to Germany, as told by a police spokesman in St. Polten in Lower Austria.

Within days, 15 suspected smugglers were arrested who had taken people from Syria, Lebanon and Egypt. According to investigators, the smuggling operation was sabotaged on 16 November after a total of 25 vehicles transported 200 to 300 people from the Serbian-Hungarian border. “Your cars were prepared for these trips,” said a police spokesman for the ORF broadcaster.

Migrants paid up to 5000 euros

The route headed through Slovakia and the Czech Republic to Lower Austria, where 14 vehicles were confiscated. Drivers were recruited in Moldova, Ukraine and Uzbekistan with monthly wages of up to 3,000 euros.

A police spokesman said about a third of the hundreds of migrants had applied for asylum in Austria. Those picked up indicated that he himself had planned to move to Germany. The other two-thirds have probably already been there. Each expatriate was asked to travel to Austria for between 4,000 and 5,000 euros.

337 suspected smugglers have already been arrested

“Smuggling is not only one of the largest branches of organized crime, but the largest inhuman branch,” said ORF Interior Minister Karl Nehmer. According to the OVP politician, false promises are often made to refugees.

This year 337 people were arrested in Austria on suspicion of being smugglers. A total of 311 people were arrested last year.