The Slovak and Czech gang members of a people smuggling ring were placed in pre-trial detention by Austrian police on Wednesday. So far Hungary has apprehended over 200 people smugglers this year, compared to 150 in 2019, with many having arrived to the country as migrants.

According to a statement issued by Austrian police, the two men of Czech and Slovak nationality have picked up the illegal Afghan migrants at the Serbia-Hungary border, transported them to Austria via Hungary and Slovakia and then set them free Near the Austria, Hungary, Slovakia tri-point border area. The two people smugglers were in charge of organising transport, while the third gang member, 38-year-old Marek V., provided online assistance to their missions from Slovakia.

The people smuggling ring has completed at least 50 illegal transports since November 2019 and has made around €50,000, the online edition of the Austrian Kronen Zeitung reported on Thursday.

So far Hungary has apprehended over 200 people smugglers this year, compared to 150 in 2019, the Hungarian Prime Minister s top domestic security advisor told Hungary s public media on Wednesday. Gyorgy Bakondi said the activities of human smugglers in Hungary are becoming more and more extensive. They are typically migrants themselves, Syrians or Afghans, who become involved with human smuggling rings. The expert stressed that the Balkan migration route was still active. Although the number of people flowing into Greece is stagnating, the number of people arriving in Italy by sea has seen a significant rise, with many coming not only from Libya, but also from Tunisia and Algeria.