The Federal Judicial police in Antwerp have arrested eight people as part of an investigation into an Afghan criminal organisation suspected of human trafficking, the Antwerp Public Prosecutor’s Office announced on Thursday.
Police conducted raids across the country in Antwerp, Izegem, Jette, Sint-Truiden, and Roeselare with the participation of British and Italian police officers. Another eight arrests have been made abroad in the same case.
The victims were reportedly brought from the Middle East illegally into Belgium through the Balkans and then to the United Kingdom. The gang trafficked individuals using cars, lorries, and boats.