A vast operation took place on
Thursday in Salento, Italy and Greece against two criminal rings
- one Italian, one Greek - specialised in migrant trafficking.
In recent months, the groups facilitated the arrival of
thousands of migrants on Italian shores, forcing the migrants to
pay at least 6,000 euros each.
A total of 13 people were arrested, seven in Italy and six in
Greece, following warrants issued by the anti-mafia police in
Lecce and the Athens prosecutors' office.
The operation, titled "Sestante", was conducted with over 100
agents from the Lecce provincial command and the Rome central
organised-crime investigative service (SCICO), together with the
Greek police and Greek coast guard, as well as personnel from
Europol's European Migrant Smuggling Centre (EMSC) coordinated
by Eurojust (Netherlands), the Italian National Anti-Mafia
Directorate, and the Lecce District Anti-Mafia Directorate.
A year-long investigation was conducted by the Italian
Finance Police and revealed the existence of the two criminal
groups specialised in facilitating illegal immigration.
Agents managed to reconstruct the various steps and
responsibilities of the traffickers and recruiters who organised
so-called "phantom landings".
Details of the operation will be provided at a press
conference on Thursday at 10:15 a.m. at the Lecce Finance Police
Provincial Command.
The meeting will take place simultaneously via video
conference with Eurojust headquarters in the Netherlands, and
Europol officials will take part.
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