Large smuggling network discovered in Albania: Migrants charged 1,250 euros

Albanian police have discovered the largest migrant smuggling network since the beginning of the crisis and arrested 18 people in several operations since the beginning of September, the state prosecutor's office announced on Wednesday, reports Patria.

Suspects in human smuggling are accused of working for a branch that organized the passage of migrants from the Middle East and North Africa towards Austria and Germany.

The investigation showed that the network was well-organized and led migrants through Greece, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, and Hungary to Austria and Germany, said Albanian prosecution spokesperson Albi Serani.

Smugglers charged between 900 and 1250 euros per person for transport to a destination in Western Europe, the same source added. Four more people suspected of belonging to this network of Albanian smugglers were arrested on Tuesday in Calais, northern France, sources there announced.

The Balkan route, through which hundreds of thousands of migrants from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa passed towards Northern Europe during 2015 and early 2016, was closed in March 2016. However, migrants continue to try to reach their desired destinations via the Balkans, often with the help of smugglers, writes Index.