Europol Dismantles Illegal Immigration Network in Spain

The Spanish national police announced on Monday the dismantling of a network specialized in illegal trafficking of clandestine migrants through inflatable boats between Africa and Spain.

This operation, which mobilized around 150 police officers from different departments and from Europol, resulted in the arrest of 20 people of Spanish nationality held responsible for the sinking of a boat that occurred last February causing four deaths, Spanish police said in a statement.

The victims of this network, mostly Moroccan minors, were taken to the peninsula by a payment of 2,500 euros, adds the same source, specifying that the criminal organization of Spanish origin was operating in the Campo de Gibraltar region and was recruiting their victims in the cities of northern Morocco.

“All the detainees are considered very violent because they do not hesitate to attack or threaten their victims with firearms in the event of delay or non-payment of transfers”, specifies the Spanish police.

During this operation, seven searches were carried out, which made it possible to seize five firearms, ammunition, a GPS, 150 drums containing 5,500 liters of fuel, three boats, 1,380 pounds sterling, 710 euros and various documents, concludes the same source.