Spanish police, supported by Europol, arrested 78 individuals in Spain and Algeria on Friday, August 7th, 2026, in a major operation targeting one of the largest smuggling networks operating in the western Mediterranean. Authorities said the group trafficked synthetic drugs such as MDMA from Spain and Portugal to Algeria and used the return trips to smuggle migrants and weapons into Spain, including the mainland and the island of Ibiza.

Europol described the network as having "evolved from drug trafficking into a duel-flow criminal enterprise designed to maximise profits," facilitating the movement of illicit goods and people across the Western Mediterranean. Migrants were charged up to €12,000 (£10,200) per person, with over 50 migrants smuggled in a single trip and estimated profits from migrant smuggling alone exceeding €24 million (£20 million).

The operation included searches in 17 locations across Spain, including Alicante, Almería, Cartagena, and Murcia. Seized items comprised 18 high-speed vessels valued at €5 million (£4.2 million), firearms, more than €25,000 (£21,400) in cash, and 15,000 MDMA pills. Europol also linked the network to violent robberies, extortion, illegal detentions, and money laundering.

The bust follows a recent surge in migrant crossings, with roughly 78,000 migrants entering the Spanish North African territory of Ceuta a week earlier amid online rumors of an open border. While most migrants returned to Morocco, between 3,000 and 5,000 remain in Ceuta, according to the exclave's leader Juan Jesús Vivas.

"The group used these boats to organise transfers in international waters near the Spanish coastline," Europol said, highlighting the sophisticated methods employed by the network.

Sources