Bulgarian authorities, in coordination with Europol, have arrested eight individuals suspected of involvement in a major migrant smuggling ring. The operation, which took place on Monday, targeted 15 locations around Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second-largest city.

Europol reported that half of the suspects arrested were identified as “high-value targets” due to their significant roles in the smuggling network. During the raids, law enforcement seized a variety of items, including ammunition, weapons, and mobile phones.

The investigation, a collaborative effort among Bulgarian, Romanian, and Moldovan authorities, uncovered that the criminal gang allegedly charged between €4,000 and €6,000 to smuggle migrants from Turkey into Bulgaria and other European destinations via the Western Balkan route. This route is a major corridor for illegal migration into Europe, with nearly 100,000 reported incidents of illegal crossings into the EU in 2023 alone.

Migrants would reportedly cross the Turkey-Bulgaria border on foot with the assistance of “guides” provided by members of the smuggling ring based in Turkey. Once at the border, the migrants were picked up at night and transported to the Bulgaria-Serbia or Bulgaria-Romania borders.

Europol’s investigation revealed that the leadership of the smuggling ring comprised nationals from Syria and Jordan. Bulgarian members of the gang were primarily responsible for logistics, including acquiring and using vehicles for transportation. These vehicles were often registered under different names in exchange for a small payment. Moldovan nationals, recruited online, served as drivers, receiving €100 per person transported.

Communication within the gang was reportedly conducted through disappearing messages on various phone apps, making it difficult for authorities to track their activities.

The crackdown highlights the ongoing challenges faced by European nations in combating organized migrant smuggling networks and underscores the importance of international cooperation in addressing these complex criminal operations.

French authorities are treating an explosion outside the Beth Yaacov synagogue in La Grande-Motte, near Montpellier, as a potential terror attack. The incident, which occurred early Saturday morning, involved two vehicles set ablaze outside the synagogue, one of which contained a hidden gas canister. The suspect, who was reportedly carrying a Palestinian flag and possibly a handgun, remains at large.

The explosion, which happened between 08:00 and 08:30 local time, injured one police officer. Fortunately, the officer’s injuries are not life-threatening. Five individuals, including the synagogue’s rabbi, were inside the building at the time, but there were no other reported injuries. The attacker also set fire to several entrance doors of the synagogue.

Yonathan Arfi, a leader within the Jewish community, condemned the attack as “an attempt to kill Jews” and suggested it was timed to target Saturday morning worshippers. French President Emmanuel Macron labeled the incident as “a terrorist act.”

Eyewitnesses described the explosion as a dramatic “fireball” that erupted into the air. An anonymous observer told the BBC, “It was surreal, like a film. We didn’t go any further.”

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and Interior Minister Gérald Moussa Darmanin visited the scene later in the day. Attal denounced the attack as “an antisemitic act” and expressed his shock and outrage, emphasizing that French Jews were once again targeted because of their beliefs. He noted that a “narrowly avoided” tragedy could have occurred if the synagogue had been filled with worshippers.

Attal and Darmanin both pledged to enhance security around synagogues and other Jewish institutions. Darmanin assured the Jewish community and local residents of his full support, highlighting ongoing security measures. Synagogues and Jewish schools in France already operate under stringent security due to past threats.

This attack underscores growing concerns about antisemitism in Europe. A recent report by the Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF) revealed a nearly threefold increase in antisemitic acts from 2022 to 2023. In May, a man was shot dead by police after setting fire to a synagogue in Rouen. The attack also follows the 2015 kosher supermarket hostage situation and comes amid heightened worries about antisemitism in Europe.

The explosion has drawn widespread condemnation across France’s political spectrum. Left-wing politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon labeled it an “intolerable crime,” while far-right National Rally leader Jordan Bardella described it as a “criminal and antisemitic act.”

The EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) survey published last month found that Jewish people across the bloc continue to face significant levels of antisemitism, with 96% of those surveyed reporting encounters with antisemitic incidents in their daily lives.

Italian authorities have launched an investigation into the tragic sinking of the luxury yacht Bayesian off the coast of Porticello, Sicily, which resulted in the deaths of seven people. The inquiry will examine potential crimes of “shipwreck and manslaughter,” although no specific individuals are currently being targeted.

Among the deceased are UK tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, who were on board the yacht during the early morning storm on Monday. The vessel went down in approximately 50 meters (164 feet) of water, and initial reports suggested it might have been caused by a waterspout. However, authorities now believe a powerful localized wind known as a downburst is the likely culprit.

The bodies of Jonathan Bloomer, a former Morgan Stanley International chairman, his wife Judy Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo, and his wife Neda Morvillo were recovered following an intensive search. Canadian-Antiguan chef Recaldo Thomas was found at the scene on Monday. Post-mortems are planned to determine the exact causes of death.

Ambrogio Cartosio, chief prosecutor of Termini Imerese, stated at a press conference on Saturday that the coastguard was alerted at 04:38 local time on Monday, but the yacht had already sunk by the time they arrived. Cartosio indicated that it is “probable that offences were committed” and that the investigation will determine the responsibility of the captain, crew, supervisors, and others involved.

Raffaele Macauda, deputy commander of the Palermo coastguard, noted that the weather conditions at the time were abnormal, with forecasts predicting strong winds and a storm. However, there was no specific tornado warning. Macauda suggested that the yacht’s captain should have taken necessary precautions.

The Italian Air Force has confirmed that a downburst, a powerful wind descending from a thunderstorm, most likely caused the sinking. Girolamo Bentivoglio Fiandra from Palermo’s fire brigade explained that the yacht sank stern-first and rolled onto its side, leading some victims to seek refuge in cabins on the left side of the vessel where air bubbles formed.

The search and recovery operation has been challenging due to poor visibility and depth. Around 70 divers have participated in the operation, which involved 123 dives. Authorities are also monitoring environmental conditions and considering the recovery of the yacht from the seabed, a process that could take up to eight weeks.

The yacht was reportedly carrying passengers who were celebrating Lynch’s recent acquittal in a US fraud case. Lynch, who founded the software company Autonomy, had been cleared of fraud charges related to its $11 billion sale to Hewlett Packard.

Friends and family have paid tribute to the victims, with the Bloomer family describing Jonathan and Judy as “incredible people” and expressing solace that they remain together in death. Friends of Hannah Lynch have praised her as a “warm and beautiful soul,” and Andrew Kanter, a close friend of Mike Lynch, described him as the “most brilliant” and “caring” person he had ever known.