site.btaFive Arrested after Bulgarian, Serbian Authorities Bust Migrant Smugglers

Five people, including the organizer of an organized criminal group and two police officers, were arrested for illegal trafficking following a joint operation by Bulgaria's General Directorate Combating Organized Crime (GDCOC) and Serbia's Service for Combating Organized Crime, GDCOC said on Facebook on Thursday.

The criminal group operated along the green border between Bulgaria and Serbia. Authorities seized three vehicles used for illegal trafficking, firearms and ammunition, communication equipment, and cash.

Commenting on the operation on Facebook, Europol said that migrant smuggling networks exploit the vulnerability of people while generating significant criminal profits through complex cross-border operations.

Europol said that, according to the European Union Serious and Organized Crime Threat Assessment (EU-SOCTA) 2025, countering such networks requires sustained international cooperation, intelligence sharing, and coordinated operational action across national borders.