In a major operation, police have conducted raids across five German states to dismantle a suspected human trafficking network.

The raids targeted 19 locations in Thuringia, Baden-Württemberg, Schleswig-Holstein, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt, with a focus on Jena, Thuringia.

Authorities have arrested five men, aged between 23 and 57, suspected of smuggling over 140 people into Germany via the West Balkan route since December 2022. The suspects, including three Syrians and two Iraqis, are accused of using small transporters and a clandestine apartment in Jena to facilitate the smuggling operations.

Payment for these illegal activities was allegedly handled through the informal Hawala banking system.

The investigation, led by the Gera prosecutor's office, was triggered by multiple interceptions of transporters on the Balkan route, revealing the broader network.