Up to €9,000 per person: Spain's migrant crisis becomes a business for crime organizations

Spanish police arrested five suspects allegedly belonging to criminal organizations that illegally smuggled Moroccan migrants from Ceuta to the Cadiz area. According to the suspicion, the network transported fast boats, hid migrants in apartments, and set sail during evasive hours. In a separate investigation, a suspect was arrested after a voyage on August 14, in which seven migrants paid around €8,000 each and became stranded at sea.

Spanish police arrested five suspects allegedly belonging to criminal organizations that illegally smuggled Moroccan migrants from Ceuta to the Cadiz area. According to the suspicion, one network transported small, fast boats to Ceuta, collected migrants waiting in apartments and garages, and set sail for Spanish shores during hours when it was easier to evade patrols. The organization preferred experienced boat operators. In a separate investigation, a suspect was arrested after a voyage on August 14, in which seven migrants paid around €8,000 each, were crammed into a small boat without safety equipment, ran out of fuel, and became stranded at sea. The Unified Association of the Spanish Civil Guard warned that smuggling organizations have turned Ceuta into a "transit platform" for migrants. Authorities in Morocco arrested hundreds of people trying to reach Ceuta and dozens of suspects for aiding the crossing. In Europe, there are fears that the enclave will become a central hub on a new smuggling route into the European Union.