BRUSSELS: A Greek court in the northern city of Thessaloniki has convicted a Palestinian man of running a major migrant-smuggling ring and sentenced him to 13 years in prison.
Judges ruled Tuesday that 29-year-old Jamal Owda was active during the height of Europe’s immigration crisis, from July 2014 to December 2015 — when he was arrested in Britain following a Greek request.
Migrants allegedly paid the ring 1,500 euros ($1,900) each to be taken from Greece to Serbia by road, at a time before Balkan countries closed their borders to check migratory flows. The traffickers’ annual revenues exceeded 10 million euros ($12 million).
Owda, who denied the charges, was extradited to Greece last year after British authorities rejected his asylum application. Another 22 people have earlier been convicted of belonging to the group.
Greece jails Palestinian over migrant smuggling
Greece jails Palestinian over migrant smuggling
