In a significant crackdown, Spanish authorities have dismantled a criminal network of Algerian origin, identified as one of the largest organized operations involved in human trafficking across the Mediterranean. Investigations revealed that this illicit operation was based on a dual trade system: trafficking drugs to Algeria while smuggling migrants to Spain.
The Spanish Ministry of the Interior announced the arrest of 78 individuals, including 77 in Spain and one in Algeria, along with the seizure of 18 fast boats during a comprehensive security operation that unveiled the extensive activities of this network across the Mediterranean Sea.
According to investigations that commenced in 2023, the network exploited high-speed vessels to transport synthetic drugs, particularly MDMA tablets, from Spain to Algeria. The very same boats would then return loaded with migrants heading towards European shores.
Authorities documented no less than 64 smuggling trips during which over 2,000 migrants were transported to the coasts of Almería, Murcia, Cartagena, Alicante, and the island of Ibiza. This operation generated substantial profits for the network, exceeding 24 million euros, with fees reaching up to 12,000 euros per migrant. On some journeys, boats were reported to carry as many as 50 individuals at once.
However, these trips were not merely illegal transport operations; investigations uncovered the deadly risks that migrants faced. Often, they were crammed into the boats without life jackets, and some were tied inside the vessels to prevent them from falling overboard during high-speed travel and treacherous maritime conditions.
Through 17 search operations, authorities managed to seize approximately 15,000 MDMA tablets, 61 kilograms of hashish, along with quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine. Security forces also confiscated weapons, ammunition, fuel, and advanced communication and navigation equipment, reflecting the organizational level and resources available to the network.
Among those arrested were four leaders of the network classified as "high-value targets," as well as an individual responsible for managing its finances through a remittance system. Of the arrested, 27 individuals have been placed in pre-trial detention.
This operation was conducted with the participation of the Spanish National Police and the Civil Guard, with support from Europol and collaboration with police authorities in France, Portugal, and Poland. The case reveals a striking criminal model in the Western Mediterranean, where the network not only engaged in separate trafficking of humans and drugs but also exploited the maritime routes between Spain and Algeria to create a dual criminal line: trafficking drugs to Algeria and migrants to Spain.
As reported by almarrakchia.net.
