Prolific migrant smuggler arrested in Greece

The unnamed suspect was wanted for his involvement in the 2015 migrant crisis

European police said people smugglers had become increasingly professional to maximise their profits. Petros Giannakouris / AP Photo
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Europol said on Monday that one of the most prolific smugglers in the 2015 migrant crisis had been arrested by authorities in Athens, Greece.

The suspect, who was not named by the authorities, is a Syrian national and was apprehended with an accomplice wanted for alleged involvement in document fraud.

Based in Hungary, the main suspect had been under investigation after he was involved in the transportation of migrants on the Western Balkan route in 2015 and 2016.

He later moved to Greece after the closure of the route to continue his criminal activities.

A European arrest warrant was issued by Hungary and the suspect was later apprehended on June 12.

A house search conducted on the day of the arrest unearthed documents from all over the world including passports, ID cards, stickers, residence permits, driving licences and social security cards.

Europol said the arrests had come about through its close cooperation with the Hellenic Police and the Hungarian National Police.

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