Investigators in the northeastern
Italian border city of Trieste have dismantled an international
migrant smuggling network that reportedly beat migrants to make
them walk and gave sleeping tablets to children to stop them
from crying and being noticed, judicial sources said on
Wednesday.
The probe, which began in early 2022, documented 32 episodes
each involving dozens of migrants and refugees travelling along
the Balkan route through Italy from Greece to northern Europe.
The alleged smugglers accompanied groups on foot through the
woods from the Slovenia-Croatia border to Pomjan in Slovenia,
from where they boarded vehicles to Trieste.
Each migrant or refugee reportedly paid up to 250 euros for the
passage.
13 people from Albania and Kosovo but living in Trieste have
been arrested in relation to the probe and in total around 30
people have been placed under investigation.
The suspects face a number of possible charges including
facilitating illegal immigration and criminal association.
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