The judicial police in Nador, in northeastern Morocco, arrested five individuals aged between 30 and 40 last week for allegedly organizing illegal crossings across the Mediterranean, Spanish news agency EFE reported on Sunday.
The suspects reportedly collected substantial sums of money ranging from MAD 90,000 to 120,000 (EUR 8,300-11,000), from fourteen individuals seeking to emigrate illegally to Europe. They promised to transport them to Europe via small boats known as “pateras.”
However, the crossing attempts failed despite several efforts to navigate maritime routes, EFE sources reported.
During a search, authorities seized a vehicle, two marine engines, and a sum of money in dirhams, believed to be the proceeds of the suspects’ illegal activities.
The arrested individuals are now in custody in Nador subject to further investigation under the supervision of the public prosecutor’s office.
The authorities engaged in a similar operation in Melilla in late 2023 during which several people were arrested for conducting illegal immigration, charging between EUR 9,000 and 11,000 per person smuggled into the Spanish enclave, El Faro Ceuta reported on Monday.
The operation was made possible due to the surveillance carried out by Central Unit of Illegal Immigration Networks and Documentary Falsities, known as UCRIF, on vessels potentially used for human trafficking from Melilla. This led to an investigation into “the criminal group, its activities, its members, and its means” by analyzing their movements.