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

The network 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 group 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 noted migrants were smuggled along routine routes from Algeria to Spain, with fees reaching up to €12,000 (£10,200) per person. In a single trip, over 50 migrants could be smuggled, with estimated profits from migrant smuggling alone exceeding €24 million (£20 million). The group organised transfers in international waters near the Spanish coastline.

This announcement follows an influx of roughly 78,000 migrants into the Spanish North African territory of Ceuta a week earlier, attributed to online rumours 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.

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

Sources