Shattered the tractor network in Vienna: six arrests and more!

Shattered the tractor network in Vienna: six arrests and more!

In a large -scale action against organized crime, the Vienna public prosecutor's office uncovered a tractor network in the Austrian capital on May 27 and arrested six men. This operation was part of a targeted collaboration with the foreign and border police department playing field, which reconstructed the rise of the network that uses connections to Afghanistan. The investigation began at the end of 2023 after a Romanian tractor was arrested on the Styrian-Slovenian border.

The smashed network used the Balkan route to insertion migrants into the EU. This route leads over countries such as Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Romania, Hungary and Austria. The price of a tow varied between 10,000 and 20,000 euros. Among the arrested persons are members of the top organizational level, whereby a convicted Romanian was also responsible for the organization and provision of vehicles and had accumulated massive wealth due to the towing, which enabled him to buy real estate in France and Romania.

International network and further arrests

The operation in Vienna is in the context of a greater international commitment in which Europol was involved. In a coordinated measure, 15 people were arrested in several countries last week, including Poland, Belgium and Germany. This network is accused of illegally introducing up to 300 non-EU citizens between 2022 and 2024, mostly Syrian origin. The research on this network began in September 2024 when a vehicle was stopped on the Styrian-Slovenian border.

The investigation showed that the Belgian members of the network were responsible for recruiting drivers and monitoring financial transactions. Central organizers are said to be Palestinian and Romanian origin, while Austria acted as a transit country for the journey of migrant persons to Germany. Polish criminals who also involve drug trafficking and the hooligan scene should also be linked to illegal activities.

consequences and ongoing investigations

In the searches of the apartments and offices of the suspects in Austria, cash, gold jewelry, diamonds and numerous mobile devices were ensured. Records on foreign financing, especially in connection with the "Hawala" principle, were also found by an Afghan citizen, which indicates its central role in the processing of the financial flows.

Interior Minister Gerhard Karner commented on the arrests and emphasized the importance of international cooperation in the fight against tractor mafia. Although one of the accused has partially confessed, other arrested persons are not confessed. The five men who were brought to court in Vienna are now in custody, and the investigation into their financial infrastructure and other participants continue.

Overall, this is illustrated by how closely interwoven networks act and how important the cooperation between the countries is to combat organized crime. The approaching of several European countries to this problem could be seen as a significant step in the fight against illegal migration and the associated criminal structures.

For more information, see Kleine Zeitung, [Vorarlberg Online] (https://www.vol.at/15-festmache-bei-polizeienschaft- against-schleppernetz-mit-balkanverbinde/9402827) and ORF Oberösterreich.