In a coordinated operation, commandos from Hungary’s Anti-Terrorism Center (TEK) police force arrested a 49-year-old man suspected of being the main organizer of a gang that regularly smuggled illegal migrants into Austria.
The suspect, Balázs C., and the organization he led attracted attention when police arrested two drivers transporting illegal migrants in Törökbálint and Kiskunhalas in the autumn of 2022.
Investigators questioned these drivers and then worked meticulously to identify other drivers in the network and those involved in hiring the transport vehicles. In total, eight people were prosecuted and 11 transports are suspected to be linked to them. Two of the smugglers are in custody, while the others are at large, according to the Standby Police National Bureau of Investigation (KR NNI).
Last week, the Budapest District Court ordered the arrest of Balázs C.
During the search of his residence, the police seized several mobile phones, which will be used as physical evidence in the case. After his arrest, the investigators of the KR NNI brought Balázs C. before the police and charged him with human trafficking.
They added that the KR NNI is continuing to investigate how many other members of the gang were involved and who exactly they were. It is therefore possible that in the future the suspect list will grow.
