In Berlin and Brandenburg, three suspected smugglers were arrested by German Federal Police on suspicion of smuggling migrants from the Balkans to Germany by vans and cars.
The operation included the deployment of approximately 140 federal police officers and another 80 officers from various other federal states, spread across multiple locations.
According to local media, after months of extensive investigation, federal police together with Brandenburg state police arrested one person during a raid on Wiecker Straße in the Neu-Hohenschönhausen district of Lichtenberg.
Meanwhile, two more people were arrested in Dallgow-Döberitz and Luckenwalde in Brandenburg.
The individuals in question are citizens of Syria, Germany and Serbia.
The origin of the connections in this illegal smuggling organization is also believed to originate from Serbia.
A federal police spokesman revealed that a group of 10 men, aged between 20 and 43, were accused of systematically smuggling people to Germany for commercial purposes.
Moreover, some members of the group are involved in drug trafficking and consumption.
On the other hand, a 30-year-old Syrian, who is believed to be a key figure in the operation, was captured in Berlin-Lichtenberg.
As the Police explains, he is accused of orchestrating smuggling activities and, in some cases, of personally driving vans involved in illegal operations.