Police in the northern town of Alexandroupolis yesterday claimed to have broken a criminal ring bringing would-be migrants into the country following the arrest of 22 Iraqi immigrants, including two suspected smugglers.

Officers said that the ring had smuggled the immigrants into Greece from Turkey through the northeastern prefecture of Evros and had intended to stop off in Thessaloniki before smuggling them on into European Union member states. According to the Agence France-Presse, one of the two Iraqis believed to be masterminding the ring’s activities had attempted to secure passage to Italy for the group of Iraqis – in exchange for 1,000 euros from each migrant – but his negotiator turned out to be an undercover policeman.

Meanwhile, officers in Thessaloniki arrested another 11 immigrants from various Asian countries following a raid on a local hotel. These migrants are believed to have been brought to Thessaloniki by the Iraqi ring and had been awaiting their transfer out of Greece, police said.