Five arrests in human trafficking case in Antwerp
Five men have been arrested in Antwerp on Tuesday in a case involving international trafficking and smuggling of human beings, the Antwerp public prosecutor's office reported on Wednesday. The five suspects are Afghans aged between 22 and 29. The victims, people from Afghanistan and Pakistan, were smuggled into Europe over land or sea.
The gang of human traffickers forced their victims to pay off their smuggling debts after their arrival in our country through illegal activities. This involved drug trafficking, among other things. Remarkable detail: the suspects and the victims mainly communicated with each other via TikTok.
On Tuesday, nine house searches took place in Antwerp, the nearby town of Lier, and Lommel (Limburg province). Six suspects were arrested. Five of them were subsequently brought before the examining magistrate and placed under arrest.
(BRV)
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© BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS