Spanish police, with support from Europol, arrested 78 individuals in Spain and Algeria on Friday, August 7th, 2026, in a major operation targeting one of the largest criminal networks smuggling drugs and people across the western Mediterranean.

The network trafficked synthetic drugs, including 15,000 MDMA pills, firearms, and explosives from Spain and Portugal to Algeria. On the return journey, they smuggled migrants and weapons to the Spanish mainland and Ibiza using high-speed "ghost speedboats." Authorities seized 18 high-speed vessels valued at €5 million (£4.2 million), guns, and over €25,000 (£21,400) in cash during raids across 17 locations in Spain, including Alicante, Almería, Cartagena, and Murcia.

Europol described the group as having "evolved from drug trafficking into a duel-flow criminal enterprise designed to maximise profits," with outbound routes from Spain and Portugal to Algeria. Migrant smuggling along routine routes from Algeria to Spain involved charging up to €12,000 (£10,200) per person, with over 50 migrants smuggled in a single trip. Profits from migrant smuggling alone are estimated to exceed €24 million (£20 million).

"The group used these boats to organise transfers in international waters near the Spanish coastline," Europol said. The network is also linked to other criminal activities such as "violent robberies, extortion, illegal detentions, and money laundering."

This bust follows a recent migrant influx into the Spanish North African territory of Ceuta, where approximately 78,000 migrants crossed amid rumors of an open border. Most have returned to Morocco, but between 3,000 and 5,000 remain, according to Juan Jesús Vivas, the exclave's leader.

Sources