Spanish police, in coordination with Europol, arrested 78 individuals in Spain and Algeria on Friday, August 7th, 2026, dismantling one of the largest criminal networks smuggling drugs and people across the western Mediterranean.

The group 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 stated the network had "evolved from drug trafficking into a duel-flow criminal enterprise designed to maximise profits," charging migrants up to €12,000 (£10,200) per person along routine routes from Algeria to Spain. The group organized transfers in international waters near the Spanish coastline.

This operation follows a recent influx of approximately 78,000 migrants into the Spanish North African territory of Ceuta, attributed to online rumors of 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.

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