12 individuals have been apprehended in Romania for orchestrating a scheme involving fraudulent work visas for individuals from Bangladesh, Egypt, and Pakistan.

Here are the main points:

• Europol, working alongside Austrian and Italian authorities, detained 12 individuals in Romania for aiding illegal immigration.
• They employed counterfeit work visas to assist migrants from Bangladesh, Egypt, and Pakistan.
• The group acquired 102 work permits for migrants, charging them €5,000-€6,000 for entry into Romania and €2,000-€5,000 for transit within the EU.

Europol, in collaboration with the Austrian Police and the Italian Carabinieri Corps, has apprehended 12 individuals in Romania. The focus of the operation was a criminal network primarily composed of Romanian and Pakistani nationals, operating through Romanian-based companies.

According to Europol's report, the syndicate is accused of aiding the entry of Bengali, Egyptian, and Pakistani nationals into Romania using unlawfully acquired work visas. These visas are suspected to have been procured through fraudulent means. Further investigations have unveiled the involvement of several Romanian companies, managed by local individuals linked to the criminal organization, in obtaining work permits and visas through deceitful practices.

The syndicate applied for 509 work permits in Romania and succeeded in obtaining permits for 102 migrants. These migrants, armed with illicit visas, entered Romania unlawfully. Europol reports that 76 of these individuals are believed to have subsequently relocated to other EU countries.

In a migrant trafficking case involving €1 million, authorities conducted searches at 29 locations. During the investigation, 26 migrants were found across Romania, Italy, and Austria. Allegedly, the criminal group charged migrants €5,000 to €6,000 for entry into Romania and an extra €2,000 to €5,000 for transit to other EU countries.

The syndicate is believed to have accrued over €1 million in illicit profits. The searches spanned 29 locations, including two in Austria, six in Italy, and 21 in Romania. Seized items included luxury vehicles, electronic devices, essential documents, and over €146,000 in various currencies.

Members in Pakistan recruited migrants desiring to enter the EU, while others arranged their accommodation in Brasov and Bucharest before transporting them to Timisoara.

Authorities from Romania, Italy, and Austria discovered migrants during border crossings or within other EU territories. Italian and Austrian authorities were particularly vigilant due to the syndicate's activities. In Italy, 45 irregular migrants were intercepted along the Italian-Slovenian border.

Romania deported 1,222 individuals in 2023, with Bangladesh accounting for the highest number of deportations (approximately 400). Other deported nationalities included Sri Lanka (104), India (88), Moldova (58), Egypt (52), Morocco (39), Vietnam (32), and Syria (3).