PARIS (AP) – Interpol is asking the public to help find 10 suspected migrant smugglers, an unusual call issued Thursday that reflects just how tough it is to catch those who prey on people fleeing war or poverty.
The diverse nationalities of the 10 – who include people from Romania, Afghanistan and Azerbaijan – highlights the globe-spanning nature of the criminal networks involved in people smuggling, which has soared with the influx of hundreds of thousands of migrants heading to Europe, many fleeing Syria’s war. The public call reflects the difficulty in tracking down people smugglers who can range from invisible bosses to boat drivers.
So far, 26 people have been arrested in the Interpol-led Operation Infra Hydra, which is seeking the arrest of 180 people wanted by 31 countries.
Thursday’s appeal by the international police organization, based in Lyon, France, came after nearly a year of investigations by two dozen countries and arrests in May that included a Moroccan suspected of selling Belgian identity cards to Syrians and some in an Albanian organized crime group who were charging migrants nearly 14,000 euros ($15,900) each to travel across the English Channel by boat.
A joint report last month by Europol and Interpol estimated that 90 percent of migrants entering the European Union have had their trips facilitated by smugglers, who earned $5 billion to $6 million in revenue last year.