According to the Croatian Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime (USKOK), nine Croatian nationals, aged between 28 and 68, have been charged in connection with the operation.
The smugglers used inflatable rafts to transport migrants, charging each person at least € 1,000.
The arrests follow the roundup of another smuggling group which included two Croatian customs officials who were involved in illegally transporting migrants from Bosnia and Herzegovina
On Monday, USKOK said the smuggling ring operated from April to November 2023. The criminals charged between €500 and €1,300 per person for the journey from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Croatia and then to Italy.
The customs officials involved accepted bribes of up to €1,500 to allow the passage of vehicles carrying migrants.
The charges detailed that at least 47 Turkish nationals were smuggled in five instances, with the group’s leader earning approximately €26,300 illegally.
