Smuggling of Lankans to EU busted
*Operations of organized crime gang bared
*Twenty seven suspects arrested;
interrogated in Finland, France, Belgium
An organized crime group facilitating illegal immigrants from Sri
Lanka into the EU has been uncovered, following more than a year of
joint international efforts at police and judicial level supported by
Eurojust and Europol, the embassy of Sri Lanka in Brussels said
yesterday.
The network is suspected of facilitating the illegal entry of people
from Sri Lanka to France, frequently using a route through the United
Arab Emirates, Kenya, Tanzania, Turkey and Finland.
In a press release issued yesterday, Europol said: “On February 6,
2012, judicial authorities and officers from the Finnish Border Guard,
French Police (OCRIEST) and Belgian Federal Police, ran a joint
operation against the Sri Lankan criminal network”, and that “so far a
total of 27 suspects have been arrested and interrogated in Finland,
France and Belgium.
The main target was arrested on Sunday in Saran, France.
He was interrogated at the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Paris in
the following days and charged with being suspected of facilitating
illegal immigration.
“In addition, 23 searches were conducted in the Member States
involved, where documentary evidence and goods were seized.
“Investigations are continuing. In total, over 100 officers from
Finland, France and Belgium are involved”.
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