Notorious people smuggler operated in Greek territory
Barzan Majeed, a recently-arrested Iraqi migrant trafficking kingpin known as “Scorpion,” had been operating within Greek territory, Kathimerini understands.
Information gleaned from migrant smuggling networks suggests that Majeed resided and conducted operations in Greece from 1999 until late 2005, before relocating to the UK.
During this period, Majeed was active in the northwestern port town of Igoumenitsa, orchestrating the smuggling of migrants into Italy via trucks. “He would load people onto trucks,” a source told the newspaper.
In 2006, Majeed departed for Italy aboard a truck, eventually ending up in the UK. However, he resurfaced in Iraq nine years later, in 2015, amid the migration crisis, to oversee migrant trafficking into the European Union. This trafficking allegedly occurred through Turkey and Greece, utilizing either boats or small vehicles across the land border in the Evros region.
According to a BBC report, Majeed charged migrants 7,000 euros each for their smuggling to Europe, facilitating the illegal entry of an estimated 10,000 individuals.
In 2013, a person identified as “Majeed” was apprehended in Alexandroupoli, northern Greece, for illegal entry. However, according to sources within the Hellenic Police (ELAS), the individual in question was likely not “Scorpion” but someone else sharing the same name.
ELAS also said that the suspect apprehended on Monday was being investigated by Belgian authorities.
Majeed was arrested in Iraqi Kurdistan on Monday after local authorities reportedly traced him to a café in Sulaymaniyah, where he had given an interview to the BBC.
