4 arrests for smuggling over 600 migrants across the Western Balkans

A large investigation, involving law enforcement and judicial authorities from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia, has led to the dismantling of criminal network smuggling migrants from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Croatia and towards other EU countries. The investigation into this network active across the Western Balkans route was conducted under Europol’s dedicated Operational Task Force (OTF). Further arrests already took place in previous operational actions.Results of the action day in Croatia on 17 September 2025:The leader of the network (High Value Target) arrested3 other suspects arrested9 locations searchedSeizures include electronic equipment and small amounts of drugsEncrypted communications to secure migrant smuggling operationsThe border section between Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Slovenia has now emerged as a key route used to smuggle migrants from the Balkans into Western Europe. This investigation took place under the umbrella of a dedicated Europol Operational Taskforce, established to strengthen the coordinated response to this criminal phenomenon.To date, authorities have linked the network to more than 100 smuggling incidents involving over 600 migrants. Highly organised, the group carefully structured its operations, focusing heavily on secrecy to avoid police detection. The criminals relied on secure communication channels, including encrypted mobile messaging platforms, to coordinate their activities.The network was predominantly composed of Croatian organisers, who recruited drivers from Czechia, Slovakia and other Central and Eastern European countries. In most cases, migrants entered Bosnia and Herzegovina legally, travelling by air from Istanbul to Sarajevo. After a short stay, they contacted members of the network, who then transported them to the Bosnian-Croatian border. The migrants then crossed the border on foot, assisted by guides working for the organisation.Once inside Croatia, other members of the network arranged temporary accommodation, particularly in the Split area. From there, drivers, mainly from Czechia, Slovakia and neighbouring countries, transported the migrants onward in rented vehicles supplied by the organisers.Regional OTF at Europol to tackle shifting migrant smuggling activitiesThe Western Balkans remain a key transit region for secondary movements, where criminal networks actively offer their services to irregular migrants. In response to this criminal phenomenon, Europol set up a dedicated Operational Taskforce (OTF) in March 2023, bringing together authorities from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Germany and Slovenia. The OTF’s main objective is to target criminal groups engaged in migrant smuggling along the Western Balkans route.To strengthen these efforts, Europol established a dedicated financial instrument to support complex, high-profile investigations. During this latest operation, Europol coordinated the overall investigative activities, facilitated information exchange and provided tailored analytical support to the involved authorities. The agency also organised operational meetings to ensure effective cooperation among the OTF members.During the action day, Europol deployed an expert to the field in Croatia to cross-check operational information in real time against Europol’s databases. This ensured investigators had immediate access to possible new leads, strengthening the operational impact of the joint actions.