Hungary, Austria, Serbia join forces to catch organized people smugglers

Hungarian, Austrian, and Serbian police forces conducted joint investigations into organized people smugglers and have identified 15 people in Hungary alone, the Hungarian National Police reported on Friday.

Some smugglers have been apprehended, including drivers who had carried migrants through Hungary and Austria.

The joint force also turned over a list of smugglers to Serbian authorities, recommending arrests and criminal proceedings.

According to the report, heads of the smuggling ring lived in Serbia, Hungary and Austria and transported over 400 people -- Syrians, Afghans, Somalis, Eritreans and Iraqis -- illegally through these countries and into the heart of the European Union between August 2014 and September 2015.

The route used by the people smugglers began in Greece and went through Macedonia, Serbia, and Hungary, where they were transported primarily by drivers from Hungary and Serbia. Endit