Europe's crime agency Europol has targeted a gang charging people up to €10,000 to smuggle them to Western Europe.
Authorities have raided 624 areas across Europe and charged 92 people with being involved in migrant smuggling.
The investigation, led by Bulgarian authorities, targeted criminal networks operating along the Balkan route.
The main modes of transport used by the smugglers were vans, campers and buses.
The Bulgarian investigation was co-ordinated with Turkish and Serbian authorities and other partner agencies.
It saw more than 7,000 people stopped and 4,200 vehicles checked.
The joint action took place across Bulgaria and focused on a number of networks smuggling migrants from Turkey, via Bulgaria, to Serbia and then Western Europe.
“The main organisers of the networks active along this route are based in Bulgaria, Serbia and Turkey,” Europol said.
“They have created their own national networks of members responsible for the transport and accommodation in their respective countries.
“The prices for the full smuggling service in larger groups varied between €2,000 and €3,000 per person.
“If the migrants were smuggled in a smaller group of five to six people, the payments were reaching up to €10,000. Payments for the full trip would be made after the main organiser from Turkey had confirmed that the migrants had reached the Bulgarian-Serbian border.”
Bulgarian authorities have reported an increase in migrant smuggling activities on their southern border since last year.
“In August 2022 an incident which involved a bus transporting irregular migrants led to the death of two police officers on duty,” Europol said.
“Later the same year, an officer from Bulgaria’s Border Police was shot dead during regular patrol at the green border with Turkey. These incidents suggest an increase of both the smuggling activities and the violence of the involved criminal networks.”
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Torino (Kick-off 10.45pm UAE)
Saturday Atalanta v Sampdoria (5pm),
Genoa v Inter Milan (8pm),
Lazio v Bologna (10.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Crotone (3.30pm)
Benevento v Napoli (6pm)
Parma v Spezia (6pm)
Fiorentina v Udinese (9pm)
Juventus v Hellas Verona (11.45pm)
Monday AC Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
MATCH INFO
Who: France v Italy
When: Friday, 11pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPAD%20(2022)
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Huddersfield Town permanent signings:
- Steve Mounie (striker): signed from Montpellier for £11 million
- Tom Ince (winger): signed from Derby County for £7.7m
- Aaron Mooy (midfielder): signed from Manchester City for £7.7m
- Laurent Depoitre (striker): signed from Porto for £3.4m
- Scott Malone (defender): signed from Fulham for £3.3m
- Zanka (defender): signed from Copenhagen for £2.3m
- Elias Kachunga (winger): signed for Ingolstadt for £1.1m
- Danny WIlliams (midfielder): signed from Reading on a free transfer
Honeymoonish
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The%20Kitchen
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
