MADRID: Spanish police said Monday they have smashed an alleged people trafficking network which “operated like a travel agency” and smuggled around 600 Moroccans into Spain by sea this year.
The ring recruited its “customers” mainly in the northern Moroccan city of Larache, charging “at least” 2,500 euros ($2,825) per person for the dangerous crossing, police said in a statement.
“The organization operated like a sort of travel agency” which took the migrants to Spain, picked them up from the coast and then transported them by car to “safe houses.”
From there, they took them to their desired destination in the country, usually in Catalonia or the northern Basque Country, the statement added.
Police arrested seven suspected leaders of the ring, including its Moroccan-based chief, who was charged with recruiting migrants as part of the operation.
The network smuggled around 600 migrants into Spain this year, earning at least 1.5 million euros, the statement added.
Spain has seen growing numbers of migrants after Italy began to stem the flow of sea arrivals from Libya last year.
The International Organization for Migration says that more than 55,000 migrants have arrived in Spain by sea this year, and that at least 743 have died or gone missing trying, making it the main entry point for migrants seeking a better life in Europe.
Spain police break up Moroccan migrant smuggling ring
Spain police break up Moroccan migrant smuggling ring
- The ring recruited its “customers” mainly in the northern Moroccan city of Larache, charging “at least” 2,500 euros ($2,825) per person
Trump says “it will be done” on getting “Russian threat” away from Greenland
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Denmark has not been able to do anything to get the “Russian threat” away from Greenland, and said, “Now it is time, and it will be done!!!“
“NATO has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that “you have to get Russian threat away from Greenland.” Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it,” Trump wrote in a post on the social media website he owns called Truth Social.
The White House, the Danish Presidency in the European Union, and Denmark’s foreign affairs ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters’ request for comment.
Trump has repeatedly insisted he will settle for nothing less than ownership of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.
Leaders of both Denmark and Greenland have insisted the island is not for sale and does not want to be part of the United States.
Trump on Saturday vowed to implement a wave of increasing tariffs on European allies until the United States is allowed to buy Greenland.
The encroaching presence of China and Russia makes Greenland vital to US security interests, Trump has said. Danish and other European officials have pointed out that Greenland is already covered by NATO’s collective security pact.
