Spanish police arrests large smuggling network from Algeria

Spanish authorities announced on August 7 the arrest of one of the largest human smuggling and drug networks operating in the Mediterranean.

According to the BBC, 78 people have been arrested between Spain and Algeria; the network is believed to have brought more than 2,000 migrants into the country from Algeria.

Migration and human smuggling have been increasingly important issues in the Maghreb and the EU. This arrest takes place at a particularly tense time, following the arrival of an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 migrants at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from the Moroccan coast in recent days. Simultaneously, as the European Union has outsourced its border to Maghreb countries but particularly Libya and Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco see a particular influx of migrants.

“The Civil Guard and National Police…successfully dismantled one of the most complex, active and dangerous transnational criminal networks detected to date in the Mediterranean,” Spain’s Civil Guard said.

The network is suspected of using high-speed boats to transport synthetic drugs from the Spanish coast to Algeria, a country where demand for drugs such as MDMA is high. On the return journey, “ghost boats” are believed to have brought migrants to the coasts of Ibiza and southern Spain.

Police said the group used extreme violence to protect its operations, carrying out at least 64 smuggling operations with profits exceeding €24 million (roughly $27 million).

From January to July, the number of migrants reaching the Spanish coast decreased by 31%. However, new smuggling routes, particularly through Algeria, such as the Balearic Islands path, have grown significantly, with 15% more boats compared to 2024.

In addition to transporting drugs, the network charged up to €12,000 per migrant and transported as many as 50 people on a single crossing. This new migration axis is closely watched by authorities, as it is also one of the most dangerous routes: 1,037 people have been declared missing or dead across 121 recorded incidents. Crossings principally reach islands such as Mallorca, with 4,029 people arriving, Ibiza with 482, and Formentera with 683.

BBC, Arab Weekly plus agencies, The Guardian, ObservAlgérie, Maghrebi.org