Europe Cracks Major Algeria-Spain Smuggling Network After 78 Arrests and Seizure of High‑Speed Boats

A sprawling criminal network accused of running a violent two‑way smuggling route between Algeria and Spain has been dismantled in a sweeping multinational operation, Europol announced, just days after irregular migration to Spain made global headlines.

The crackdown comes a week after tens of thousands of migrants surged into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta, fuelled by online rumours of an open border. Most later returned to Morocco, but the incident intensified scrutiny of organised smuggling operations across the region.

Europol said the network it helped take down provided “storage, transport, refuelling, maritime transfers, vessel maintenance and counter‑surveillance services” for other smuggling gangs. The agency, headquartered in The Hague, supported Spanish authorities in an operation launched in 2023 involving Spain’s Civil Guard and National Police, alongside French, Polish and Portuguese law enforcement.

The arrests followed a coordinated “action day” on June 16, resulting in 77 arrests in Spain and one in Algeria, and the seizure of 18 motorboats, including high‑speed vessels, drugs, satellite phones, a handgun and more than €25,000 in cash. Video released by Spanish authorities showed officers detaining suspects and counting stacks of €50 notes uncovered during raids.

According to Spain’s Civil Guard, the network operated a lucrative two‑way smuggling route: transporting drugs from Spain to Algeria, then loading boats with migrants for the return journey to Spanish coastal towns. Authorities say the group is responsible for at least 64 smuggling operations, allegedly bringing more than 2,000 migrants into Spain and earning profits exceeding €24 million.

Four alleged ringleaders were among those arrested. Investigators said the group used “extremely violent methods” to protect vessels and resist law enforcement, underscoring the dangerous conditions migrants faced during the crossing

The operation marks one of the most significant blows to organised smuggling in the western Mediterranean in recent years, as European authorities intensify efforts to disrupt criminal networks exploiting migration routes.