Spanish police, with support from Europol, arrested 78 individuals in Spain and Algeria on Friday, August 7th, 2026, dismantling one of the largest smuggling networks operating in the western Mediterranean.

The criminal group trafficked synthetic drugs such as MDMA, 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." Europol stated the network had "evolved from drug trafficking into a duel-flow criminal enterprise designed to maximise profits."

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

Europol reported that migrants were charged up to €12,000 (£10,200) per person along routine routes from Algeria to Spain, with over 50 migrants smuggled in a single trip. Profits from migrant smuggling alone are estimated to exceed €24 million (£20 million). The group organised 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 Juan Jesús Vivas, the exclave's leader.

The network is also linked to other criminal activities, including violent robberies, extortion, illegal detentions, and money laundering.

Sources