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 group trafficked synthetic drugs, including 15,000 MDMA pills, firearms, and explosives from Spain and Portugal to Algeria. On return trips, 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 during the operation, which involved searches in 17 Spanish locations such as Alicante, Almería, Cartagena, and Murcia.

Europol described the network 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 charged up to €12,000 (£10,200) per person, with over 50 migrants transported in a single trip. Profits from migrant smuggling alone are estimated to exceed €24 million (£20 million).

The group organised transfers in international waters near the Spanish coastline, facilitating the movement of illicit goods and people across the Western Mediterranean. The network is also linked to violent robberies, extortion, illegal detentions, and money laundering.

This announcement follows a recent surge in migration to the Spanish North African territory of Ceuta, where approximately 78,000 migrants crossed in a short period, attributed to 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.

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