International operation dismantles migrant trafficking ring in Greece, netting over 300,000 euros

A sophisticated international operation has dismantled a large human trafficking network that smuggled migrants from Greece into the European Union. Police arrested seven people, including a 44-year-old Syrian suspected of leading the organization. The network illegally transported migrants from the Evros border to Thessaloniki and then onward to other EU countries.

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The network had illegally earned profits exceeding 300,000 euros, collecting from 2,000 to 6,500 euros for each person trafficked.

The group profited over 300,000 euros, charging between 2,000 and 6,500 euros per person. Authorities reported that the network made at least 12 transfers between February 2026 and the current date. Migrants were temporarily housed in apartments in Thessaloniki before being hidden in cargo areas of trucks destined for other European nations, often in conditions that endangered their lives.

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The network transported illegal migrants from the Greek-Turkish border of Evros to Thessaloniki, mainly using cars from Bulgaria, but also stolen vehicles from Greece.

The arrests were part of a coordinated raid in Thessaloniki, Athens, Bulgaria, and the Netherlands, involving Europol and SELEC. The investigation identified 13 suspects in total, with three already imprisoned for similar offenses. Police seized two cars, mobile phones, electronic devices, travel documents, and cash during searches of ten residences. The investigation continues to find the remaining members of the organization.

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The trafficked individuals were temporarily housed in apartments in Thessaloniki and then hidden in cargo areas of international transport trucks, with final destinations in other European Union countries, under conditions that, according to the authorities, put their lives and physical integrity at immediate risk.