It is suspected that between June 2021 and October 2023, around 880 people were smuggled from Turkey to Europe via Serbia to Austria, and then Germany and France. To transport their victims, at least 23 drivers were recruited, who are being investigated separately. Investigations into the network also raised suspicions that the group maybe connected to a smuggling incident in Germany that resulted in a death on 13 July 2023.

French and German judicial authorities came together with Eurojust to discuss the findings of their investigations and to plan synchronised actions to stop the network in their tracks. Eurojust ensured that European Investigation Orders were prepared for searches to take place in France at request of the German authorities. Europol supported the national authorities by facilitating the coordination among the affected countries and the exchange of operational information, and by delivering operational analysis reports.

On 13 November, actions took place simultaneously in Germany and France. In France, four suspects were arrested and two apartments and a car dealership were searched. Numerous mobile phones and important information for continuing the investigation was collected as a result of the search. In Germany, one suspect was arrested and four apartments were searched where substantial amounts of cash was seized.

The actions were carried out by the following authorities:

• Germany: Public Prosecutor’s Office Dresden, Branch Office Pirna & Federal Police, Regional Headquarter Pirna
• France: JUNALCO Interregional Jurisdiction against Organised Crime-Court of Paris; GPPO Court of Appeal Paris; CPPO Court of Appeal Rennes; GPPO Court of Appeal Colmar; OLTIM (Office for the Fight against Illicit Trafficking of Migrants)