Overview

• Special units detained a 29-year-old Syrian in Frankfurt after months on the run, and he was placed in pre-trial detention.
• Authorities have investigated the suspect since 2021 over alleged operations facilitating illegal entry into Germany from Austria, Belarus, and Poland.
• One alleged 2021 crossing on the Bug river ended in a capsized dinghy and a Syrian migrant’s death, prompting a probe for smuggling resulting in death.
• An arrest warrant issued by the Kiel district court in late 2024 led to an international search before federal police manhunters located the suspect.
• The investigation remains active under the Kiel prosecutor’s office and the Bundespolizei’s Rostock unit.