German Federal Police intercepted an attempted smuggling operation on the evening of Monday, July 28, 2025, when they stopped an Italian-registered SUV near Perl, a border town between Germany and Luxembourg, as part of newly intensified internal border checks.
The vehicle carried four men aged between 24 and 46—three Albanian nationals and one Italian, according to albinfo.ch.
Upon inspection, two of the Albanian passengers were found without valid documentation for entry into Germany. As a result, criminal proceedings were launched against them for attempted illegal entry into the country.
The third Albanian national was carrying a valid Albanian passport and an Italian residence permit, allowing him to enter Germany legally, reports presseportal.de.
The Italian driver of the SUV is now under criminal investigation for smuggling foreign nationals. After being questioned at the Perl police station, the driver was released on conditional terms by order of the public prosecutor and was allowed to leave.
The two undocumented Albanian nationals were denied entry into Germany and returned to Luxembourg, from where they had initially traveled.
