Italy's Polizia di Stato and France's Police Nationale conducted a joint operation on Friday targeting a criminal group involved in smuggling migrants across the border in Ventimiglia. Fifteen people were detained, with 14 placed under arrest. Investigators revealed a ruthless price list for services, including transport by taxi, hiding people in truck trailers, and risky pedestrian crossings. Over 200 cases of illegal border crossings between France and Italy were documented.
Criminal Network Dismantled
15 people accused of aiding illegal immigration were detained, with 14 arrested in a coordinated raid.
Smuggling Price List Revealed
Rates from 50 to 300 euros were detected for transport across the border, including extremely dangerous methods of hiding people in truck trailers.
Scale of Illegal Activity
Police documented over 200 cases of successful migrant smuggling, including minors, across the border in Ventimiglia.
Joint actions by Italian and French law enforcement led to the dismantling of an organized criminal group that turned human misery into a profitable business. As a result of the operation conducted in Ventimiglia and on French territory, investigators detained 15 people, mostly originating from Central Africa. The group has been charged with aiding illegal immigration. The operation was the result of work by a mixed police team from both countries, established in February 2025. The investigation revealed the brutal cynicism of the perpetrators, who established a fixed price list for smuggling. For a ride in a hired taxi, the criminals charged 300 euros, while hiding a migrant in a tractor-trailer (often without the driver's knowledge) was priced at 100 euros. The cheapest and most dangerous option was a pedestrian crossing for 50 euros. 200 — documented cases of migrant smugglingSince the migration crisis in 2015, Ventimiglia has become one of the key points on the so-called Mediterranean route, where migrants attempt to cross from Italy to Western Europe, often risking their lives on mountain paths or in railway tunnels.During the investigation, it was established that among those smuggled across the border were also unaccompanied minors. The criminals showed no concern for the lives and health of their clients, exposing them to suffocation in closed vehicles or accidents during pedestrian treks through the difficult border terrain. Nine suspects were apprehended in Italy, while the others were detained on the French side. This is the first major success for the newly established operational unit Uro, which integrates cross-border actions of the Italian and French police. „The smugglers acted without scruples; only money mattered, and the survival of the migrants was a secondary issue.” — Police statementSmuggling Services Price List: Taxi ride: legal fare → 300 euros; Hiding in a truck: n/a → 100 euros; Pedestrian crossing: free → 50 euros