The leaders of people smuggling gangs mostly control their organisations from Afghanistan, Greece and Turkey, the Chief Security Advisor to the Prime Minister said on the public service television news channel M1 on Wednesday morning.

György Bakondi said mainly escorts and helpers operate in the vicinity of Hungary who agree to help migrants cross strictly guarded borders for money, and for this they have countless methods.

He said they had found tunnels in five or six instances in the vicinity of or under the Hungarian border, while many illegal migrants try to cross the border by hiding in trucks.

He added that so far this year more than 180 people smugglers have been apprehended, while last year this was the number for the entire year.

Mr Bakondi said typically people smugglers are former migrants who arrived earlier, some years ago, and have protected person status.

At the same time, in addition to people smugglers, a variety of non-governmental organisations are also taking part in the transportation of migrants to Europe, he added.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)