The investigation was launched in Germany in September 2024 following a routine border check, which revealed irregularities in a driver’s documents. Subsequent enquiries suggested that the driver had already smuggled migrants that same day and was linked to a wider network. The inquiry led investigators to suspects based in West Flanders, including two key figures believed to have recruited drivers—often individuals in financially vulnerable situations—and managed financial transactions. These suspects acted as a link between facilitators in Germany and a connected network in Poland. The Polish branch is also believed to have used a legally operating transport company to conceal smuggling activities via the Balkan route.

On the day of the joint operation, Belgian authorities carried out eight house searches in the Roeselare region, resulting in the arrest of four men and two women aged between 27 and 35. Seized items included mobile phones, vehicles, laptops and documents. In Germany, one further suspect was arrested, and earlier actions in Poland had already led to the arrest of eight individuals linked to the same criminal structure. Europol coordinated the multi-stage operation, supporting information exchange, real-time data verification and cross-border deployments, while Eurojust facilitated judicial coordination among the participating Member States. 

For further details, please read (in Dutch) this press release or (in English) the press release from Europol.