A migrant smuggling network on the border between Poland and Belarus has been broken up

The smuggling network is suspected of transferring millions of euros to various armed groups, including the Lebanese militant group “Hezbollah”.

The group organized the illegal migration of Iraqis, Syrians and Palestinians through the Polish-Belarusian border to the German border, the prosecutor’s office revealed. The defendants include Poles, Ukrainians, Iraqis and Belarusians.

The investigation was led by the European Union (EU) Agency for Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters “Eurojust”. German and Dutch police also participated.

Two leaders of the smuggling network are also suspected of smuggling Yemeni, Syrian and Iranian migrants through the Balkans.

Investigators found that $581 million in cryptocurrency flowed through accounts controlled by the leader, with at least $30 million transferred to accounts linked to Hezbollah and Palestinian groups, and more than $13 million subject to U.S. sanctions, Polish prosecutors said.

Since the summer of 2021, thousands of migrants and refugees, mainly from the Middle East, have crossed or tried to cross the border between Belarus and Poland. Warsaw and the West accuse Belarus of organizing this influx together with its ally Russia with the aim of destabilizing the region and the European Union (EU).