The Operation “AVANTI” was initiated by the Criminal Investigations Directorate, Service for Combating Organized Crime from the Serbian Ministry of Interior in cooperation with the Border Police Directorate, police officers of regional police administrations of Subotica, Novi Sad, Belgrade and Kikinda. Parallel police investigation was conducted together with the National Investigation Bureau of Hungarian Police and with the coordination and valuable support of SELEC.
During the operation, 9 persons, including the leader of the organized crime group, were charged for the suspicion that, in the period between the end of December 2013 and 5th of March 2014, they committed criminal offence of illegal migrants smuggling and human trafficking.
An organized criminal group was established with the aim to facilitate illegal crossing of borders, illegal stay or illegal transit through the territory of Republic of Serbia to Hungary and other EU countries for illegal migrants – Turkish, Syrian, Afghan citizens, as well as Serbian citizens of Albanian ethnicity.
At the same time, 2 handguns, 33 mobile phones, dozens of SIM cards, 4 computers, one camera, 2,200 EUR, and other objects were seized from the suspects.