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 operating in the western Mediterranean. The group was involved in smuggling synthetic drugs such as MDMA, firearms, explosives, migrants, and weapons.

Europol stated the network had evolved from drug trafficking into a dual-flow criminal enterprise designed to maximize profits, moving synthetic drugs from Spain and Portugal to Algeria. On the return routes from Algeria to Spain, the group smuggled migrants, charging up to €12,000 (£10,200) per person. The migrants were transported on "ghost speedboats" to the Spanish mainland and the island of Ibiza.

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

Europol also linked the network to other criminal activities such as violent robberies, extortion, illegal detentions, and money laundering. The group organized transfers in international waters near the Spanish coastline.

This announcement follows a recent influx of approximately 78,000 migrants into the Spanish North African territory of Ceuta, attributed to online rumors about an open border. While most migrants have returned to Morocco, between 3,000 and 5,000 remain in Ceuta, according to the territory's leader Juan Jesús Vivas.

Sources