Suspected people smugglers charged in Poland
(WARSAW) - Prosecutors in Przemysl in southeastern Poland Wednesday charged 15 suspects including Poles, Ukrainians and Vietnamese, with people smuggling for allegedly having illegally brought Asians to Europe.
The gang organised by a Vietnamese national is "accused of having smuggled about 100 illegal Vietnamese, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Afghan migrants from Ukraine to Poland," Marta Petkowska, spokeswoman for the Przemysl prosecutor's office told AFP.
The smugglers helped the migrants to illegally cross the Polish-Ukrainian border through the perilous Bieszczady mountain range, and then transferred them to the outskirts of the Polish capital Warsaw.
"The cost of this service was up to 150 dollars per person," Petkowska said.
Thirteen of the 15 accused decided to plead guilty, accepting fines and suspended prison sentences of one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half years in prison, she said.
Text and Picture Copyright 2009 AFP. All other Copyright 2009 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.
