'Operation Baghdad' nabs 75 in Europe immigrant racket: Europol

0 Comments | AFP, June, 2008

THE HAGUE (AFP) — Hundreds of police arrested 75 people across Europe Monday in a massive crackdown on a racket that brought illegal immigrants from Asia to Britain and Scandinavia, policing agency Europol said.

About 1,300 officers took part in "Operation Baghdad" in 10 countries, arresting two dozen in France, among them a "network boss," and dozens more in Germany, Greece, Belgium, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Ireland and Britain.

"All suspects are said to be involved in the clandestine smuggling of a large number of illegal immigrants into and within the European Union," said a joint statement by Europol and Eurojust -- a network of European judicial authorities.

"This was one of the largest co-ordinated actions against people smugglers ever..."...