LONDON: Police in Spain say they have cracked a smuggling ring responsible for trafficking people from Syria to Europe via Sudan.

The Policia Nacional said the gang was based in Spain and run by a Syrian man, operating since 2017. It also dealt in smuggled items including guns and drugs.

Fifteen people have been arrested, 14 of them in Almeria and one in Malaga. Thirteen were remanded in custody.

Thirteen properties in the two cities were also searched, and police seized two speed boats, €522,710 ($569,455) in cash, a pistol, an additional seven vehicles, mobile and satellite phones, computers, a tablet, documents and drugs.

The police said the gang smuggled 200 people via Khartoum, using operatives in Belgium and Germany to coordinate trips onward to Europe, at a round distance of over 8,000 km and which cost up to €20,000 per person.

The operation to uncover the group lasted over a year and involved police from France, Germany, Norway and Europol.

In a statement, Europol said: “The criminal network used an unusually long and expensive route to smuggle irregular migrants from Syria into the EU; starting in Syria, irregular migrants were taken via Sudan or the UAE towards Libya. From Libya they were taken to Algeria before the journey into Europe via the Mediterranean.”

The Policia Nacional said fast boats were used to transport migrants to Spain from Algeria before people moved onward to their destinations.

Those who paid more could enjoy a “VIP service” including being picked up “in high-end vehicles and with tight security measures.”

The Policia Nacional added: “Teams were put in place on the beaches where the migrants were disembarked to keep a look out for police presence, patrols were sent out and vehicles with powerful engines were used to pick up the migrants.

“The gang also hid their boats on farms and in industrial units that were fitted with video surveillance.”