site.btaRomanian Interior Ministry Officials Investigated for Involvement in Migrant Trafficking Network

Several former and current employees of Romania's Interior Ministry have been involved in the organization and operation of a large migrant trafficking network on the country's territory, the Romanian media outlet Digi24 said on Tuesday. The coordinator of the group is also a former Interior Ministry official.

More than 37 people are under investigation, including foreign citizens, as well as seven consortiums featuring 31 commercial companies with headquarters in the Romanian counties of Caras-Severin, Timis and Arad.

Officers from Caras-Severin’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, together with prosecutors from Bucharest ‘s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, in coordination with prosecutors from Romania’s Anti-Corruption General Directorate, carried out 67 searches in the case.

The investigation found out that migrants have paid sums of between EUR 500 and EUR 1,000 for work permits. The shorter the period for obtaining the permit, the higher the asking price. It was as high as EUR 5,000 to EUR 6,000 per person.