Italy smashes Afghan people-trafficking ring
Almaty. January 13. Kazakhstan Today - A gang which trafficked mainly Afghan migrants into Europe has been broken, European police force Europol has said, BBC reports.
It said 26 alleged gang members had been arrested in Italy with further arrests in Germany and France.
It said the gang was responsible for smuggling about 200 illegal migrants into Europe every month, a fifth of them children.
The migrants are thought to have paid up to 5,000 euros (?4,000) to be smuggled across Europe.
The arrests on Tuesday were the result of a two-year Europol investigation, which included house searches during which some of the smuggled children were found.
Most of the migrants began their journey in Afghanistan before travelling through Pakistan, Iran and Turkey to Greece, from where they were moved on into western Europe.
Europol said those behind the gang used false EU identity documents and transferred funds through the popular Hawala network.
Piero Saviotti, a prosecutor in Rome, said some of those arrested were "suspected of involvement in international terrorism", AFP news agency reports.
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14 injured in gasoline station explosion in Atyrau region
Fire and rescue units continue to extinguish the fire and cool down the gas tanker. Efforts are underway to localize the fire sources and evacuate people from the danger zone," reported the regional emergencies department.
Currently, the lives of the injured are not in danger. Following an initial examination and diagnostics, 10 patients were hospitalized, another four are under outpatient observation. The condition of all injured is estimated as stable, and there are no critically ill patients in intensive care unit," a statement from the healthcare department reads.
- Seven individuals are in a moderate condition,
- Three patients are in stable condition, with no signs of life-threatening complications.
Police officers promptly arrived at the scene, cordoned off the area, and are coordinating the work of emergency services. The situation is under control," a statement from the Police Department reads.
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