Galery

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Seven traffickers in refugees, one of them being a Bulgarian citizen, were apprehended on Sunday in the region of the village of Lavara in Evros as a result of a joint operation of the border police subdivisions in Didimotiho and Soufli, the police station and the security department in Didimotiho and the police station in Orestiada.

In particular, the traffickers involved three Syrian citizens aged 27, 25 and 25, three Greek citizens, namely two men aged 53 and 48, one woman, aged 44 and one 34-year-old Bulgarian.

During the operation, the police apprehended the Bulgarian national while he was illegally transporting 47 illegal immigrants in a mini-bus. At the same time, three Greek citizens were travelling by car at a short distance ahead of the mini-bus in order to reduce the likelihood of the mini-bus being inspected during a possible police check.

Subsequently the authorities apprehended the three Syrians who had transferred the 47 illegal immigrants in plastic boats from Turkey to Greece, crossing the river Maritsa a little earlier.

The police authorities have seized the mini-bus and the car, 260 euro and 515 Turkish liras in cash, and four mobile phones.

The police communication states that the 53-year-old Greek has been previously apprehended for alleged involvement in trafficking in refugees.

The detained traffickers have testified before the prosecutor in Orestiada and the preliminary investigation is being conducted by the border police department in Didimotiho.