Spanish authorities, in collaboration with Europol and law enforcement agencies from France, Portugal, and Poland, have successfully dismantled what officials describe as one of the largest human trafficking organizations operating in the Western Mediterranean region. The coordinated operation, initiated by Spain’s Civil Guard and National Police in 2023, reached its culmination on June 16 with a major enforcement action that resulted in 78 arrests and the confiscation of valuable assets, including 18 speedboats used for illicit maritime operations.
The criminal enterprise operated with sophisticated logistics resembling a legitimate business, managing two-way smuggling routes between Europe and Algeria. Investigators documented at least 64 smuggling operations that transported over 2,000 migrants into Spain, generating approximately €24 million in revenue. The network charged migrants up to €12,000 per passage and frequently crammed up to 50 people onto single vessels. Beyond human trafficking, the organization also facilitated the movement of synthetic drugs and weapons across the region.
Authorities emphasized the extreme dangers posed by the network’s operations, noting that migrants were subjected to inhumane conditions during perilous sea crossings. Passengers were reportedly restrained to prevent them from falling overboard, and the organization employed violence against migrants, members, and law enforcement. Of those arrested, 77 were apprehended in Spain and one in Algeria, with the majority holding Algerian nationality and connections to criminal groups across multiple European countries.
Originally reported by Aljazeera →
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