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 involved in 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.

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 operation included searches at 17 locations in Spain, including Alicante, Almería, Cartagena, and Murcia. Europol noted the network's involvement in other criminal activities such as "violent robberies, extortion, illegal detentions, and money laundering."

This announcement follows a recent influx of roughly 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.

Sources