Woman from Amsterdam arrested on suspicion of people smuggling 

The Dutch Labor Inspectorate has arrested a 39-year-old woman from Amsterdam on suspicion of people smuggling. She allegedly helped large groups of people, mainly from Brazil, travel to the Netherlands. For years, the Amsterdammer illegally helped them secure work and a home for a fee.

The Inspectorate thinks that the woman was actively approaching people. The suspect charged people to help them with their trip to the Netherlands, opening bank accounts, and finding a space to live. She also allegedly asked for money to legally register them as non-residents in the Netherlands, which can be done by authorities for free.

People were then illegally placed into in the Amsterdam region, mainly in cleaning, construction, or hotels. They were placed both with companies and private individuals.

It is prohibited for organizations in the Netherlands to operate without a permit when either recruiting or employing people from outside the European Economic Area or Switzerland.

A spokesperson for the Inspectorate would not say how many people were involved, or if they were still in the Netherlands. He said an accurate estimate was unavailable.