Authorities in Bulgaria, Greece, the Netherlands, and Romania have taken coordinated action against an organised crime group suspected of smuggling migrants through the Balkans using rented, stolen and fraudulently registered vehicles.

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

The action day took place on 16 July 2026, with operational activities carried out in Thessaloniki and Athens (Greece), Sofia (Bulgaria), Bucharest (Romania) and Etten-Leur (the Netherlands).

Seven arrests across three countries

The coordinated action led to the arrest of seven suspects:

• five in Greece;
• one in Bulgaria;
• one in the Netherlands.

So far, authorities have linked the group to 12 migrant smuggling incidents detected between February and July 2026. A further four earlier incidents remain under investigation and are believed to be connected to the same criminal network. The migrants transported were predominantly Egyptian, Iraqi and Syrian nationals.

Criminal network continuously adapted to reduce risks

The investigation uncovered a sophisticated transport network designed to evade law enforcement. To move migrants across borders, the suspects allegedly:

• transported migrants in small vehicles through Greece, Bulgaria and Romania before transferring them to lorries for the final stage of the journey towards Italy;
• rented vehicles using genuine and forged identity documents before failing to return them;
• purchased and registered cars under the names of third parties or front companies;
• used stolen vehicles, primarily originating from Greece.

Investigators believe the network operated through dedicated cells in Greece, Bulgaria and Romania, with its members travelling frequently across the Balkans to coordinate the smuggling routes.

Europol's support

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

On the action day, Europol deployed an expert with a mobile office to Greece, allowing investigators to cross-check operational information against Europol's databases in real time, rapidly develop investigative leads and support the coordination of the participating authorities.

European Centre Against Migrant Smuggling

To strengthen Europol’s efforts to combat migrant smuggling, Regulation (EU) 2025/2611 was adopted in December 2025. This new EU legislation underscores the importance of addressing migrant smuggling at the EU level through enhanced cooperation, including the establishment of Europol’s European Centre Against Migrant Smuggling (ECAMS) in March 2026.

ECAMS ensures better systematic exchange of information and coordination of efforts. This includes strengthening expertise in open-source intelligence (OSINT) and financial investigations, as well as enhancing the operational impact of the network of liaison officers from Frontex, Eurojust, and the Member States.