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 smuggling drugs and people across 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 "ghost speedboats," according to Europol.

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 police conducted searches in 17 locations across Spain, including Alicante, Almería, Cartagena, and Murcia.

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. Migrants were smuggled along routine routes from Algeria to Spain, with fees reaching up to €12,000 (£10,200) per person. In some trips, over 50 migrants could be smuggled, generating estimated profits exceeding €24 million (£20 million) from migrant smuggling alone.

"The group used these boats to organise transfers in international waters near the Spanish coastline," Europol said. The network is also linked to other criminal activities, including "violent robberies, extortion, illegal detentions, and money laundering."

This announcement follows a recent surge in migration into the Spanish North African territory of Ceuta, where approximately 78,000 migrants entered amid online 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