Joint action was held on Tuesday in four European countries to fight illegal migration. A total of 103 human traffickers were arrested in the operation, 10 of them in Hungary - announced the Director General for Criminal Affairs of the National Police Force, at a Budapest press conference.

Tibor Takacs stated: illegal migration had become a serious problem for both Austria and Hungary by the summer of 2011, and so the two countries strengthened their cooperation to reduce human trafficking. Their work has been supported by Europol from the beginning, and the cooperation was later joined by 11 other countries - he recalled.

He explained: the strengthening of illegal migration was brought by the weakening of border controls in Greece. Currently illegal migrants come to Hungary via Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, and Macedonia, however, Hungary is usually a transit country rather than the final destination - he explained.

He emphasized that the fundamental goal is to eliminate those criminal gangs that aim to smuggle people from the Western Balkans to Western Europe.

He also stressed that the effectiveness of the cooperation is shown by the success of Tuesday's operation, which was even more successful than the previous one of its kind.

More than 1200 police officers participated in the operation; 103 human traffickers were arrested and 117 house searches were carried out. In Hungary, 11 house searches were carried out and 10 people were arrested, 6 of whom have been arrested and are awaiting trial.

Director of the National Bureau of Investigation Gabor Bucsek said: the issuing of an international arrest order by the Hungarian authorities lead to the capture in Slovakia of a Kosovan national with Slovak citizenship in relation to the illegal border crossing of eighteen Kosovans across the River Tisza in October 2009, sixteen of whom drowned. It is expected that he will be transferred to the Hungarian authorities.

Though well-organized human traffickers operate in a number of EU countries, all smuggling organizations can be successfully tackled if countries work together.

Michael Rauschenbach, leader of Europol's Organised Crime Unit said: cross-border crime can only be tackled by cooperation between the countries involved. He added: Europol seeks to support the work of investigative authorities and help the efficient exchange of information between countries. He drew attention to the fact that human traffickers often transport the migrants under inhuman and dangerous conditions.

Thomas Spang, head of the International Cooperation and Coordination Unit of the German Federal Police said: Afghan, Iraqi and Syrian refugees are mainly smuggled to Europe in trucks and buses. Hiding places are constructed in these vehicles in a professional manner. He noted that migrants often do not receive provisions of any kind; even the air-supply is inadequate.

(Ministry of Interior)