Suspected Smuggler Detained
Alion Çaçi
In the first hours of May 13th, around 1 am, a surveillance crew of the Brigittenau (1200) municipal police department spotted a car that stopped in an intersection and let three people with backpacks walk out of the car. As the police approached, the party of three ran away, and the stopped vehicle suddenly accelerated, increasing the suspicion of the police officers. They managed to stop the car in the 2. district, in an area known as Stadionallee.
The driver was arrested and suspected of human trafficking. Another adult man from Sudan was found with him in the car. He had no identification and was carrying only a backpack.
The official report of the Police Department gives further details:
Circumstances:
A radio car crew of the Brigittenau (1200) municipal police command became aware of a vehicle that had stopped at an intersection and let three people with a backpack get out. The three people ran away as the officers approached, and the vehicle driver accelerated. After a chase, emergency services managed to stop the car in the area of Stadionallee. After clarifying the facts, the police officers arrested the driver, a 42-year-old man, on suspicion of drug trafficking. A second person in the vehicle was a 34-year-old man from Sudan. The man had no identification and was carrying only a backpack. The 34-year-old man was also temporarily detained. Further investigations are being conducted by the Vienna State Criminal Police Office, Human Trafficking and Smuggling Investigation Unit.