European police agency (Europol) and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) announced on Monday that law enforcement agencies from five countries have disrupted a transnational criminal network involved in smuggling migrants from Cuba to the European Union. Europol and Interpol coordinated the international investigation that led to the operation against the smuggling network, resulting in the arrest of 62 individuals.
Europol's statement indicated that the criminal network targeted Cuban citizens facing dire circumstances, arranging travel for migrants to Europe and providing them with forged documents in exchange for nine thousand euros ($9,969.3). The criminal network is suspected of successfully smuggling around five thousand Cubans into the European Union. In addition to the arrests, police confiscated 18 pieces of property, 33 vehicles, 144 bank accounts, and significant amounts of cash in various currencies.
