31 Smuggling Suspects Referred to Court, 615 Victims

The Antwerp Chamber of Council has referred 31 suspects to the correctional court in what prosecutors describe as one of the largest human smuggling cases ever prosecuted in Belgium. The suspects are accused of being part of “313” or “313 criminal,” an Afghan-organized crime network that smuggled at least 615 victims across multiple continents, according to the Belgian Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The Investigation

The investigation was launched in October 2023 by the Federal Judicial Police (FGP) Antwerp into an Afghan smuggling organization operating on the border of Serbia and Hungary and in the Dunkirk and Calais region. The smuggling routes extended from the Balkans to Western Europe and from France to the United Kingdom, with victims paying several thousand euros for transport.

According to Kristof Aerts, spokesperson for the Antwerp Public Prosecutor’s Office, the organization used multiple methods of transport including travel on foot, by vehicle, by boat, in truck cargo spaces, and by airplane. The Het Laatste Nieuws reported that the network collaborated with other smuggling organizations, expanding its operations to facilitate smuggling from additional countries.

Victims and Nationalities

The 615 identified victims include men, women, children, toddlers, and babies from Afghanistan, Turkey, Pakistan, and other nationalities. The scale of the operation makes it one of the most extensive human smuggling cases in Belgian judicial history.

Brutal Methods and Violence

Prosecutors detailed a pattern of extreme violence used by the organization. Victims who could not pay on time were beaten, held captive, and sexually abused. A particularly disturbing piece of evidence emerged during the investigation: a video showing adult men being beaten with sticks while their young children were forced to watch.

“‘313’ would also use violence by beating victims, holding them captive, and sexually abusing them when, for example, payment was not made on time,” Aerts said, as reported by HLN.

TikTok as a Criminal Tool

The organization demonstrated a modern approach to criminal operations, using TikTok Live for communication between members and with victims. Members shared video footage of smuggling operations showing themselves armed with Kalashnikovs. The social media platform served both as an operational tool and a means of intimidation.

Financial Operations

Proceeds from the smuggling operations were funneled back to Afghanistan, though investigators also found evidence that money was invested in legitimate businesses within Belgium, indicating a sophisticated financial structure designed to launder criminal proceeds.

International Cooperation

The case involved extensive international law enforcement collaboration. Through Europol, Belgian authorities worked closely with the Italian Carabinieri and the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA). A coordinated operation in February 2025 resulted in 16 arrests — 8 in Belgium and 8 abroad — with European Arrest Warrants issued for suspects across multiple jurisdictions.

Broader Context

This prosecution is part of a multi-year effort against Afghan-organized human smuggling networks in Belgium. In November 2024, 22 Afghan nationals were sentenced to up to 18 years in prison with fines reaching €2,712,000 for smuggling at least 113 compatriots, as VRT NWS reported. The court identified two sub-groups within that organization: “2060 regering van nigharhar” operating from Antwerp, and “Dam gham lamba” operating from Turkey and France — both names also used on TikTok.

Earlier, in May 2024, 23 suspects were referred to court in a related case involving human trafficking, sexual abuse of young Afghan boys, and extortion. The Antwerp Prosecutor’s Office described it at the time as “one of the heaviest human trafficking cases of recent years.” Victims in that case were forced to pay smuggling debts and coerced into committing crimes such as drug trafficking, as VRT NWS reported.

E. Van der Auwera, Referent Magistrate for Human Trafficking and Smuggling at the Antwerp Prosecutor’s Office, described the nature of the crime: “Human smuggling is a serious crime in which human dignity is violated and a victim is reduced to merchandise, purely for financial gain. These people often find themselves in vulnerable or hopeless situations, where they are misled by false promises and confronted with dangerous and inhumane conditions.”

Analysis and Implications

The scale of this case — 31 suspects and 615 victims — underscores the sophisticated and deeply entrenched nature of the “313” network. The organization’s ability to operate across multiple countries, coordinate complex smuggling routes, and employ extreme violence as a business model sets it apart from smaller smuggling operations.

The use of TikTok as a primary communication and intimidation tool represents a notable evolution in criminal methodology. By leveraging a mainstream social media platform, the organization gained operational flexibility while simultaneously creating a digital evidence trail that investigators could exploit.

International cooperation proved critical to the investigation’s success. The coordinated February 2025 raids across Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Italy — involving Europol, the Italian Carabinieri, and the UK’s National Crime Agency — demonstrate the cross-border coordination required to combat modern human smuggling networks.

What’s Next

The public prosecutor’s office will now issue a summons for a preliminary hearing. The 31 suspects face prosecution before the Antwerp correctional court, though a trial date has not yet been set. The case raises ongoing questions about the protection and support available to the 615 identified victims and whether additional suspects remain at large.

Belgium, particularly Antwerp and the coastal region near Zeebrugge, has become a significant hub for human smuggling operations targeting the United Kingdom. This prosecution represents a major milestone in disrupting the “313” network, though authorities acknowledge that dismantling such deeply entrenched criminal organizations requires sustained international effort. The referral of these 31 suspects to court sends a clear signal that Belgian authorities are intensifying their fight against organized human smuggling, but the broader challenge of protecting vulnerable migrants from exploitation remains an open question across Europe.