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They are said to have simply put people on the loading areas of trucks and vans and brought them to Germany under life-threatening conditions: the federal police arrested two suspected smugglers in Altenburg in eastern Thuringia and one suspect in Erfurt.
The men from Syria, Serbia and Turkey are said to have smuggled at least 85 people to Germany in six cases, as the responsible Federal Police Directorate in Halle announced.
Objects were also searched in Ronnenberg near Hanover and Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, but there were no arrests.
The starting point of the investigation was the apprehension of 19 smuggled Syrians and Egyptians, including 5 children, in Bernstadt in Saxony, it said.
In addition, further locks were discovered and prevented on motorways 4 and 17.
A man (2nd from left) is led away from a residential building in Erfurt by two police officers
Source: dpa / Michael Reichel
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According to the information, the people had to pay between 3500 and 12,000 euros to the smugglers for the transport on the so-called Balkan route.
Officials all over Germany on duty
120 federal police officers were on duty in the four cities on Wednesday.
An apartment building was searched in Erfurt, two properties each in Altenburg and Ronnenberg and one property in Greifswald.
The police seized evidence that must now be evaluated.
In addition, a vehicle was confiscated that is said to have been used for smuggling trips.
The investigations into the suspicion of commercial smuggling of foreigners are currently directed against a total of five suspects.
The suspects are said to be both organizers and drivers.
They are said to have used the "smuggler's wages" to make a living in Germany.
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With another raid on Wednesday morning, the police also took action against suspected smugglers and forced prostitution.
Eight objects in Berlin, Hamburg and Timmendorfer Strand (Schleswig-Holstein) would be searched, tweeted the Berlin Federal Police on Wednesday morning.
The suspects are said to have forced Vietnamese women who came to Germany illegally into prostitution.
This woman is arrested in Berlin
Source: dpa / Paul Zinken
A 43-year-old suspect was arrested in Berlin-Lichtenberg, as spokesman for the public prosecutor and federal police said.
Investigators are also focusing on two other suspects.
Berlin-Lichtenberg: During the raid against people smugglers who are accused of human trafficking and forced prostitution, the officials searched numerous apartments
Source: dpa / Paul Zinken
According to the Federal Police, around 160 emergency services were deployed.
The investigation is being carried out on the suspicion of smuggling in foreigners for commercial purposes and of forced prostitution.