Source: Večernje novosti

On May 30, 2013, the Department of the Criminal Police of Serbia arrested the members of the criminal group in the area of Pancevo, Subotica, Smederevska Palanka, Belgrade and Kanjiza. That group was accused for organization of illegal border crossing and smuggling in Turkey, Serbia, Hungary and Austria.

There is suspicion that they were as members of a criminal group, involved in the smuggling across the state border of the Republic of Serbia, committed 13 crimes of illegal transfer of mainly Turkish, Afghan and Serbian citizens from Kosovo and Metohija since October 2012 to May 2013. During these actions they managed to achieve significant financial benefit in the amount of tens of thousands of euros.

In the statement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia it is said that the suspects were finding interested people for the illegal transition to the EU with the help of the people from Kosovo and Metohija and Turkey; then were organizing the arrival and accommodation in Subotica.

After accomodation and providing conditions for the transport, the members of the criminal group would enable the illegal crossing of the border for the illegal migrants to the territory of Hungary and from there their transport to Austria.

The organizers of the smuggling were doing illegal transfer of the migrants in groups of 8 to 12 to the territory of Hungary, mostly using the so-called green belt in the wider area of the place of Martonos that is located in the northern Serbia on the border with Hungary.

The suspects were remanded in custody, after which they will be with the criminal charges brought to the investigative judge of the competent court in Subotica.

According to the statement of the Serbian Interior Ministry, significant contribution in the collecting the evidences of criminal activities during the follow-up of this criminal group was achieved through close cooperation with the police forces of Hungary and Austria.