Spanish and Algerian authorities, with support from Europol, arrested 78 individuals on Friday, August 7th, 2026, in a major operation targeting one of the largest smuggling networks in the western Mediterranean. The criminal group was involved in trafficking synthetic drugs, including MDMA, firearms, explosives, and migrants.

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 journey, the group smuggled migrants and weapons to the Spanish mainland and Ibiza using "ghost speedboats". Migrants were charged up to €12,000 (£10,200) per person, with over 50 migrants smuggled in a single trip and estimated profits exceeding €24 million (£20 million) from migrant smuggling alone.

The operation, led by Spanish police, involved searches in 17 locations across Spain, including Alicante, Almería, Cartagena, and Murcia. Seized items included 18 high-speed vessels valued at €5 million (£4.2 million), guns, more than €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 surge in migrants entering the Spanish North African exclave of Ceuta, where approximately 78,000 migrants arrived amid rumors of an open border. Most have returned to Morocco, but between 3,000 and 5,000 remain, according to Ceuta's leader Juan Jesús Vivas.

Sources