Police in Spain announced on Thursday that they have dismantled a human smuggling network and arrested 77 individuals allegedly responsible for bringing illegal immigrants from India, Pakistan, and Bolivia into Europe and North America, according to a police statement.
The suspects, allegedly including six top leaders of the organization, have various nationalities and were apprehended in multiple cities across Spain.
Authorities carried out searches of ten areas, including residential premises and travel agencies, and seized €500,000 in cash.
The network allegedly operated two routes of considerable length and complexity, one for Pakistani and Indian immigrants to reach the United States or Canada, and another for Bolivian migrants to enter Spain. For their services, the conveyors allegedly received a fee of up to €10,000 from each immigrant.
Their journeys were challenging. The Pakistani and Indian immigrants flew to Bahrain, then to Egypt, and finally to Libya. In Libya, over 130 immigrants would embark on overcrowded boats for a 30-hour crossing over the Mediterranean Sea to the Italian island of Lampedusa, often without food or water.
Upon arrival in Lampedusa, the immigrants were initially accommodated in Turin, Italy, before being relocated to Zaragoza or Barcelona, Spain.
The organization then furnished the immigrants with the requisite documentation to proceed with their planned itinerary, which included multiple destinations in Mexico. Subsequently, the migrants were assisted in crossing the U.S. border illegally.
Bolivian migrants typically followed a similar route, transiting through Egypt or Libya before reaching Spain.
Spain remains a primary entry point for irregular immigrants to Europe. Last year, 56,852 people entered the spanish territory illegally, an increase of 82.1% from the previous year.