Poland busts ring smuggling migrants through Belarus border

WARSAW, POLAND (AFP) - The Polish border guard has busted an international migrant smuggling ring that transported people illegally into the European Union through Poland's border with Belarus, Europol said on Thursday.

Poland, a NATO and EU member, has repeatedly accused Russia and Belarus of orchestrating an influx of migrants at its eastern border to destabilise the region.

"The Polish Border Guard, supported by Europol, has successfully targeted a large criminal network smuggling migrants from Belarus and Russia into the EU," the Hague-based European police force said in a statement on Thursday.

According to the agency, the migrants, who were mainly from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Egypt, were coming legally to Belarus, either directly or through Russia.

The smuggling network then transported them at the EU border that Poland shares with Belarus, which the migrants "crossed illegally".

"The migrants would be picked up in Poland by other members of the network and smuggled to other EU countries -- mainly to Germany -- by car," Europol said.

The smugglers, mainly Polish, Russian and Ukrainian nationals, charged fees of about 5,000 euros ($5,400) per person, sometimes in cryptocurrency.

Migrants had to pay drivers in Poland a further 500 euros for travel to Western Europe.

The network "is linked to smuggling incidents concerning around 600 illegal migrants", Europol added.

One of the suspects, a Russian national, ran a car rental firm in Poland but took part in the ring's operations by recruiting drivers and providing vehicles for transporting them across the EU.

Polish border guards patrolling the border with Belarus this year have detained 321 people suspected of organising illegal migration routes.

Poland announced this month its migration rules overhaul involving a temporary suspension of asylum rights for irregular migrants.