Spanish police, in coordination with Europol, have arrested 78 individuals in Spain and Algeria linked to one of the largest smuggling networks operating in the western Mediterranean. The group was involved in trafficking synthetic drugs, including MDMA, firearms, explosives, and migrants.

Europol stated that the network had "evolved from drug trafficking into a duel-flow criminal enterprise designed to maximise profits," moving synthetic drugs from Spain and Portugal to Algeria. On the return journey, the group smuggled migrants and weapons to the Spanish mainland and the island of Ibiza using "ghost speedboats".

The operation included searches at 17 locations across Spain, including Alicante, Almería, Cartagena, and Murcia. Authorities seized 18 high-speed vessels valued at €5 million (£4.2 million), guns, over €25,000 (£21,400) in cash, and 15,000 MDMA pills.

Europol reported that migrants were charged up to €12,000 (£10,200) per person for smuggling along routine routes from Algeria to Spain. The group organized transfers in international waters near the Spanish coastline.

This announcement follows a recent influx of roughly 78,000 migrants into the Spanish North African territory of Ceuta, attributed to online rumors about an open border. Most migrants have returned to Morocco, but between 3,000 and 5,000 remain, according to Ceuta's leader Juan Jesús Vivas.

Sources