Authorities from Bulgaria, Greece, the Netherlands and Romania have carried out a coordinated international operation against an alleged organized crime network accused of smuggling migrants through the Balkans using rented, stolen and illegally registered vehicles.
According to Europol, the operation, led by Greek authorities and supported by the European law enforcement agency, targeted a criminal network composed mainly of Syrian and Egyptian nationals. The group is suspected of organizing the illegal transportation of migrants from Greece through Bulgaria and Romania, with the final destination of Italy.
The operation took place on July 16 in Thessaloniki, Athens, Sofia, Bucharest and Etten-Leur in the Netherlands, resulting in the arrest of seven suspected members of the network — five in Greece, one in Bulgaria and one in the Netherlands.
Investigators have so far linked the group to 12 migrant smuggling cases recorded between February and July 2026, while four additional cases remain under investigation.
The migrants transported by the network were mainly citizens of Egypt, Iraq and Syria. According to investigators, the group used smaller vehicles to move migrants across Greece, Bulgaria and Romania before transferring them to trucks for the final stage of their journey toward Italy.
Authorities allege that the suspects also obtained rental vehicles using both genuine and forged identity documents, failed to return them, and purchased or registered vehicles under the names of third parties or fictitious companies.
The network is also suspected of using stolen vehicles, many of which originated from Greece.
Investigators believe the group operated through organized cells based in Greece, Bulgaria and Romania, with members frequently moving across Balkan countries to coordinate smuggling routes.
Europol supported the investigation by facilitating the exchange and analysis of operational information between the participating authorities. During the operation, the agency deployed an expert with a mobile office to Greece to enable real-time checks against its databases.
The operation highlights continued efforts by European authorities to disrupt organized migrant smuggling networks operating along one of the main migration routes connecting the Eastern Mediterranean with Western Europe.
