Law enforcement authorities dismantled what officials described as one of the largest criminal smuggling networks operating in the western Mediterranean region. The operation resulted in 78 arrests conducted in Spain and Algeria, according to statements from Europol. The network was involved in multiple illicit activities beyond trafficking, including violent robberies, extortion, illegal detention, and money laundering operations.
The criminal organization operated a sophisticated two-way trafficking system utilizing routes between Spain, Portugal, and Algeria. In one direction, the group moved synthetic drugs such as MDMA, firearms, and explosives from Spain and Portugal toward Algeria. On return journeys, they smuggled migrants and weapons back to the Spanish mainland and the island of Ibiza. The network employed unregistered high-speed vessels, commonly referred to as ghost speedboats, to conduct rapid maritime transfers in international waters near Spanish coastlines before arranging onward transport by land.
Migrant smuggling represented a particularly lucrative component of the operation, with the network reportedly charging up to €12,000 per person and transporting over 50 migrants per trip. Europol estimated total profits from migrant smuggling alone exceeded €24 million. Investigators documented that migrants were frequently transported in overcrowded vessels lacking proper safety equipment and operating in hazardous weather conditions, with reports of sexual assaults, physical abuse, and confinement in inadequate housing.
The investigation, led by Spanish police with support from international partners, involved searches across 17 locations in Spain, including the cities of Alicante, Almería, Cartagena, and Murcia. Authorities seized substantial assets including 18 high-speed vessels valued at €5 million, firearms, more than €25,000 in cash, and approximately 15,000 MDMA pills. Additional items confiscated included satellite phones, GPS devices, encrypted communication equipment, and satellite dishes used to coordinate operations. The suspects were primarily of Algerian origin and maintained connections to criminal organizations across France, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, and Poland.
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