Alex Trelinski
14 PEOPLE have been arrested for running a migrant smuggling gang running high-speed boat transits between Algeria and Spain- charging up to €7,000 per passenger.
The organisation invested around €1 million in boats to make the transfers.
The Guardia Civil rounded up suspects in Operation Nautilita in Almeria, Alicante, Murcia, and Sevilla provinces.
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The detainees have been charged with money laundering, smuggling, the illegal possession of weapons, and infringing the rights of foreign citizens via illegal immigration.
A further eight people are being investigated for belonging to criminal gang.
Eight addresses were raided with 15 inflatable boats of between 7.5 and 8 meters seized with high power engines.
Three engines, boat hulls, two guns, 133 cannisters of petrol and €68,115 in cash were also removed.
The Guardia operation started in May 2024 when they became aware of a gang carrying out specialised tasks ranging from the collection of fuel, as well as the acquisition of high-speed boats and engines to power them.
The crew also maintained a financial network capable of supporting criminal activity related to the logistics and operations of its organisation.
They used a network of shell companies established in France, which laundered profits made from illegal activities in Algeria.
Financiers, intermediaries, as well nautical sector and logistics experts were all part of the plot.
The Guardia operation had the collaboration of Europol as well as the French Gendarmerie and the Italian Carabinieri.
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