Minister of the Interior announces to combat illegal migration networks

Minister of the Interior, Gerhard Karner, has announced to combat illegal migration networks: "These are mafia structures that we have to destroy. And we are doing that, using all available tools."

A special operation began in the early hours of 5 May 2022 on the highway near St. Pölten. The special police unit “Puma”, officials of the provincial traffic department and the Austrian Criminal Intelligence Service, diverted vehicles from the highway. In the background, the action was supported by targeted coordination efforts, as the head of the unit combating migrant smuggling in the Ministry of the Interior, Gerald Tatzgern, emphasised.

Drones were also used during the operation, for example, to determine whether the tarpaulin on the roof of trucks was damaged - an indication that smuggled persons could be inside.