Romanian prosecutors send eighty people to trial for migrant smuggling

Eighty people have been sent to trial by Romanian prosecutors in DIICOT (the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism) in four cases related to migrant smuggling in the counties of Timiș, Arad, and Caraș-Severin.

In the four criminal cases involving the formation of organized criminal groups and migrant trafficking, prosecutors ordered the indictment of 80 defendants (64 in pre-trial detention), with 7 guilty pleas being concluded, according to DIICOT.

Forty illegal transports were intercepted during the investigations, and over 800 migrants who were attempting to illegally cross from Romania into other European Union states were found.

"It was established that since 2022, several defendants, both Romanian and foreign citizens, have formed four criminal groups with the main purpose of providing shelter in locations within Romania and subsequently transporting groups of migrants to Central or Western European countries by illegally crossing Romania's state borders, with the aim of obtaining significant material gains. As a result, approximately 40 illegal transports were intercepted, involving over 800 migrants who intended to illegally cross Romania's state borders to reach countries within the European Union," stated DIICOT, cited by News.ro.

Prosecutors received support from the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and its subordinate territorial structures, the General Inspectorate of Border Police, and the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Gendarmerie. Specialized support was provided by DIICOT - the Technical and Criminalistic Office and the Special Operations Directorate within the Romanian Police.

The case files have been forwarded for resolution to the Timișoara Court of Appeal and the Timiș and Arad Tribunals.

(Photo source: Carol Robert | Dreamstime.com)