ATHENS  – As Greece is still dealing with scores of thousands of refugees and migrants in detention centers seeking asyum, the country’s intelligence agency and counter-terror police working together said they nabbed an Iraqi man behind a major human smuggling operation.

He was identified only as Thakir M. and had been under scrutiny even before the investigation into the smuggling ring, said Kathmerini, citing records as indicating he was being followed, possibly after a tip from foreign intelligence agencies which weren’t identified.

He was arrested after several weeks of surveillance, and a search of his downtown Athens home turned up around 800 stolen or forged European Union passports, ID cards and driver’s licenses, the biggest seizure ever of unlawful travel documents, the court records show.

He reportedly confessed to being part of a migrant smuggling racket and was cooperating with the authorities, claiming that the gang is run by an Algerian man in France. Despite the severity of the charges he was released on bail.