People
smuggling has become a major problem for
European nations as
illegal immigrants flood their countries.
Kurds from
Iraq,
Albanians and other
Balkan peoples from the former
Yugoslavia as well the Chinese some examples of those willing to pay to be smuggled.
Ther have been examples of freighers found with their holds full of Chinese in
New York. Or as recently was the case, some 900
Kurdish women, men and children were found off the coast of the
French Riviera. Their boat having been beached and abandoned, they had survived on
bread and water in horrific conditions for the several days they had been on board during their voyage from
Turkey.
There are advanced mafia networks with acess to freighters, speed boats and other equipment that sometimes charge thousands of dollars a head to transport immigrants. They are also often involved with
cigarette smuggling and prostitution rackets.