BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) Police say 10 people have been arrested for allegedly helping Syrians and other illegal immigrants reach the European Union countries.
Police said in a statement Wednesday that the arrested Serbs are part of a ring that smuggled "many" illegal immigrants from Syria, Kosovo, and African and Asian nations to the EU via neighboring Hungary.
The statement says that for their services, the suspects received between 2,100 and 3,500 euros ($2,840-$4,730) per smuggled person. They also used the bloc's open borders to transport clients from Hungary to other EU states.
In recent months, Serbia and other Balkan countries have faced a dramatic influx of illegal immigrants from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and other war-ravaged nations who are searching for a better life in the EU.
