The Spanish authorities have announced that they have arrested 19 people for promoting as well as facilitating illegal migration from North Africa to Spain.
According to the Ministry of Interior of Spain, the 19 individuals were arrested in two different locations – in Almería and Tarragona – and the same stressed that during this operation they searched seven houses and some farms located in the countryside, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
The authorities revealed that the group facilitating the illegal movement of migrants used boats to bring them to Spain and charged up to €5,000 per person. Moreover, it was noted that they made synchronised departures in order to make it difficult for the police to catch them.
Once the police detected such activities which permitted migrants to enter Spain illegally, they went on with their operation.
The Ministry of Interior disclosed that in these searchers, the relevant authorities seized a total of 17 boats, over €48,000 in cash, two vehicles, and mobile devices, among others.
“In these searches, 17 boats, two vehicles, more than 48,000 euros in cash, 90,000 ecstasy pills, more than 600 grams of high-purity cocaine and mobile devices owned by those investigated and third-party victims of robberies have been intervened,” the statement of the Ministry reads.
Additionally, the Spanish authorities seized stolen objects and stressed that these objects were being sold for a much lower price in Algeria.
The 19 people that have already been arrested have been sent to court, and 16 of them have been imprisoned. Those imprisoned have been accused of crimes against human rights and public health. Moreover, they have been accused of belonging to a criminal group.
Regarding the security of migrants who were being illegally brought to Spain, it has been explained that they were at serious risk as many of the boats were in a poor condition.
“The trips put the lives of migrants at serious risk due to the use of boats, many of them in poor condition and unsuitable for maritime journeys on the high seas,” the Ministry stated.
Previously, SchengenVisaInfo.com reported that illegal migration in the country decreased by 25.6 per cent in 2021.
Data provided by the Ministry of Interior of Spain show that the number of illegal migrant arrivals dropped from 41,945 registered in 2021 to 31,219 in 2022.
The Canary Islands registered the most significant drop in the number of illegal migrants – 29.7 per cent – compared to 2021.
The Balearic Islands also registered a lower number of illegal migrant arrival in 2022 compared to 2021.
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