24/08/2018 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 24 August, the EU's judicial and police cooperation agencies, Eurojust and Europol, announced the dismantling of an organised criminal group operating in Germany and suspected of having brought several Indian and Nepali men and women to the EU illegally, with the aim of contracting sham marriages in order to obtain residence permits. The investigation, which is still ongoing, has revealed that each migrant paid the trafficker around €12,000 for a package of services, including travel to Europe, entry into Germany, application for a residence permit and the organisation of a wedding ceremony. Seventeen house searches have been carried out and five European arrest warrants issued by the Munich federal police. The police are supported by Europol and Eurojust and cooperating with the authorities of Romania and Poland. (MF)