At the border to Tyrol

Police stop smuggler with Syrians in the trunk

Symbol photo

(Bild: Karl-Heinz Spremberg - stock.adobe.com)

A suspected trafficker was caught by German police on Thursday near Mittenwald not far from the Tyrolean border. There were a total of seven Syrians in the 38-year-old's vehicle - three of them were crammed into the trunk.

The car with Polish license plates, which was on its way from Tyrol to Bavaria, was stopped by federal police officers on the B2. As soon as they looked inside the vehicle, the officers realized that the car was overcrowded. "When the doors and trunk were opened, the catastrophic conditions inside the vehicle became clear: in addition to the driver, there were four other people on the back seat. One of the rear side doors was covered in vomit from top to bottom. There were also three other men in the trunk," emphasized the police.

Syrian traveling without papers
The driver identified himself as a stateless person with a Latvian passport. "He did not have a visa or residence permit," said the police. His seven passengers had no papers with them. "According to their own information, they are Syrian nationals aged between 18 and 38," the investigators emphasize.

Driver in custody
According to initial findings, the Syrians had previously been in Slovenia. Their driver picked them up by car, although he himself does not have a valid driver's license. The 38-year-old has been remanded in custody. "He is being investigated for smuggling in foreigners under life-threatening conditions and driving without a license," explains the executive.

Four migrants denied entry
Three of the Syrians were forwarded to an initial reception center for refugees. The other four migrants were refused entry by the federal police as they were not seeking protection or asylum in Germany. They were returned to Austria after the police measures were completed.