Smuggler with 24 people in van apprehended
A suspected smuggler drove 24 people, including children, across the border to Germany in a van on Wednesday evening. The federal police arrested the 34-year-old driver as part of a reintroduced internal border control in Schwedt/Oder (Uckermark), according to the police.
The 24 people - 23 of them Iranians aged between 10 and 42 and a 33-year-old Iraqi - were crammed into the cargo hold of the van. None of them had the necessary documents to enter or stay in Germany. The police are now investigating the persons of criminal age on suspicion of illegal entry. The 34-year-old driver, a stateless person who last lived in Estonia, will be brought before a magistrate. He is being investigated on suspicion of smuggling in foreigners.
After the police work was done, 22 people were taken to an initial reception center. The youth welfare office is now responsible for two unaccompanied minors.
The investigation also uncovered potential links between the smuggler and organized crime networks.The arrest of the smuggler and the refugees highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the police in dealing with refugee smuggling.
Source: www.dpa.com
