France, Jan. 20 -- A court in northern France has sentenced 14 Sri Lankan nationalsto prison for operating a people-smuggling ring across Europe - part of a continent-wide attempt to crack down on the lucrative criminal networks.

The main suspect, accused of overseeing the operation from a grocery store in the village of Serifontaine, 80kmnorth of Paris, was handed a four-year prison term, with one year suspended.

Investigators determined that he set the prices and routes for moving migrants from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh across the continent from Ukraine, with the help of bribes to officials in Eastern Europe.

Another suspect, who is based in Britain but fighting extradition requests, was given a five-year sentence, while the others we...