Sweden charges three men over refugee trafficking
Prosecutors in Sweden have charged three men with organizing the trafficking of 170 refugees from Italy to Scandinavia in northern Europe.
The prosecutors believe that the three men in their thirties were transporting the refugees, most of them Syrians, via minibuses from Milan's train station to Scandinavia in 2014.
"There they were simply walking around and asking if someone wants to go to Sweden or other parts of Scandinavia," presiding prosecutor Isabelle Bjursten said on Friday.
One of the three suspects was Syrian, while the two others have both Swedish and Iraqi nationalities, according to the prosecutors.
Bjursten further said the trio had made about 150,000 Swedish crowns ($17,500) from refugee smuggling, adding every refugee had to pay about 500 euros ($560) for the trip, while children were often moved for free.
Fifteen of the minibuses and camper vans were stopped by police in Italy, Denmark, Germany and Austria in August and November 2014.
They were detained in Sweden last year and released later pending trial.
If convicted, the three could receive jail sentences between six months and six years.
Europe is facing an unprecedented influx of refugees, who are fleeing conflict-ridden zones in North Africa and the Middle East, particularly Syria.
Many blame major European powers for the unprecedented exodus, saying their policies have led to a surge in terrorism and war in those regions, forcing more people to flee their homes.
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