Macedonian police officers, organized group investigated in migrant smuggling schemes

Macedonian police and the public prosecutor launched the major operation "Coyote" early morning on Wednesday against an organized group of suspected migrant smugglers.

A total of 24 people are under investigation for organizing the illegal transit of migrants through Macedonian territory, robbery, abuse of official position, and drug trafficking. Five of the arrested are police officers.

Three of the alleged organizers -- one of them a police offer -- were from the central Macedonian town of Veles. The group is believed to have been operating since the beginning of 2015.

"The police officers were engaged in criminal acts while performing their duty," Macedonian Interior Minister Mitko Chavkov explained at a press conference here where he presented the video material from the raids.

The prosecution suspects the group organized the illegal transport of at least 559 migrants from the border with Greece to the Serbian border. The sums charged for single transport varied between 500 and 1,000 euros (550 and 1,100 U.S. dollars).

The arrested police officers are suspected of helping the group with information and logistics, even lending their police uniforms to perform the criminal acts.

Aside from migrant smuggling, the group is charged with bank robbery, drug trafficking and drug dealing, misuse of position, and forgery of official documents.

During the raids in the homes of the arrested, the police found automatic and non-automatic weapons, ammunition and a hand grenade, so they are also facing charges for illegal arms possession, the prosecutor reported.

Chavkov confirmed the police had information about other criminal groups similarly engaged in migrant smuggling and was investigating.

After the closing of the so-called Balkan route popular amongst migrants transiting towards western Europe, the criminals are again charging high sums for organizing the illegal transport of migrants through Macedonian territory.

"This was to be expected. Once the legal registration process is no longer available, it is logical to expect that the black migrant routes will return. The countries in the region will have to increase the efforts to control the illegal transits," security analyst Blagoja Markovski told Xinhua.

An average of 60 migrants try to enter Macedonia illegally from Greece every day, Macedonian security forces assess. On the Serbian side, dozens of migrants per day try to cross illegally so as to continue their journey further north. Endit