Balkan network dismantled: migrant traffic with rental cars towards Italy

Led by the Greek authorities and supported by Europol, the investigation targeted a criminal network composed mainly of Syrian and Egyptian citizens, suspected of organizing the illegal transport of migrants from Greece through Bulgaria and Romania, and then facilitating their onward journey to Italy.

The operation took place on July 16th, with operational activities in Thessaloniki and Athens (Greece), Sofia (Bulgaria), Bucharest (Romania) and Etten-Leur (Netherlands).

The coordinated action led to the arrest of seven suspects: five in Greece, one in Bulgaria and one in the Netherlands. So far, authorities have linked the group to 12 incidents of migrant smuggling detected between February and July 2026.

Four other previous incidents are still under investigation: they are believed to be linked to the same criminal network. The migrants transported were predominantly Egyptians, Iraqis and Syrians.

The investigation brought to light a sophisticated transport networkdesigned to evade law enforcement. To get the migrants across the borders, the suspects allegedly transported the migrants in small vehicles through Greece, Bulgaria and Romania, then transferred them to trucks for the final stage of the journey to Italy.

They would have rented vehicles using authentic and fake identity documents, without returning thempurchased and registered cars in the name of third parties or shell companies and would also have used them stolen vehiclesmainly coming from Greece.

Investigators believe the network operated through operational cells in Greece, Bulgaria and Romania, with members frequently traveling to the Balkans to coordinate human trafficking routes.

Europol facilitated the exchange and analysis of operational information throughout the investigation, helping national authorities to identify links between cases and build a comprehensive information picture of the criminal network.

On the day of the operation, Europol sent to Greece an expert with a mobile officeallowing investigators to compare operational information with Europol databases in real time, rapidly develop investigative leads and support the coordination of participating authorities.

The General Directorate of the Border Police of Bulgaria took part in the action, for the Hellenic Police the Directorate of Foreigners of Thessaloniki, for the Netherlands the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (Koninklijke Marechaussee) and, for Romania, the Directorate for the fight against organized crime (Directia de Combatere a Criminalitatii Organizate).