Spanish Police Crack Down on 78‑Person Smuggling Network
Spanish police, with Europol support, dismantled one of the biggest smuggling operations across the western Mediterranean.
The operation saw 78 people arrested in Spain and Algeria, with the network linked to violent robberies, extortion, money laundering and illegal detentions.
Key seizures included:
- 18 high‑speed speedboats valued at €5 million (£4.2 million) used for “ghost” maritime smuggling.
- Guns and weapons, along with more than €25,000 (£21,400) in cash.
- 15,000 MDMA pills.
The network transported synthetic drugs from Spain and Portugal to Algeria, then used the return voyage to smuggle migrants and firearms to Spain and Ibiza via speedboats.
Migrants were moved in overcrowded, unlit boats, often without life jackets, and were sometimes subjected to physical abuse and sexual assaults.
Investigators warned that the smugglers charged up to €12,000 per migrant, with an estimated €24 million profit from migrant smuggling alone.
Other confiscated items included satellite phones, GPS devices, encrypted communication tools and satellite dishes.
The arrests were in 17 Spanish locations, including Alicante, Almería, Cartagena and Murcia, and highlighted cooperation between Spanish police and Europol.
With 78,000 migrants displaced in Ceuta that day, the crackdown signals Spain’s determination to curb illegal migration and drug trafficking.
Stay tuned for related stories on youth criminal networks, teen hitmen recruiting and more.
