Spanish authorities announced Sunday the dismantling of a major transnational human trafficking network that smuggled Moroccan migrants into Spain and other European Union countries via Romania. The operation culminated in the arrest of four suspects during a raid in Cartagena, in the Murcia region of southern Spain. According to the Spanish Civil Guard, the criminal organization targeted Moroccans seeking irregular entry into Europe. The network arranged commercial flights from Morocco to Romania, where migrants were then transported overland across multiple EU borders in trucks and vans, eventually reaching Spain.
The trafficking ring is believed to have facilitated over 50 smuggling operations between 2022 and 2024, moving groups of 20 to 50 migrants per trip. Migrants reportedly paid approximately €3,000 each (about $3,400) for the journey. Investigators said the group’s logistics hub was based in Romania, from where the ringleader orchestrated the network’s activities and coordinated with operatives in Spain, Morocco, and Romania. Responsibilities included setting smuggling fees, planning routes, and arranging transportation.
To avoid detection, the network employed lookout vehicles and crossed borders at low-surveillance checkpoints, exploiting loopholes in EU free movement zones. The smugglers also used fake documentation and unregistered vehicles. The bust was part of a broader joint operation involving Europol and FRONTEX, the EU’s border and coast guard agency. Authorities said investigations are ongoing, with more arrests expected as law enforcement agencies trace the group’s financial and communication networks. Spanish officials underscored the significance of the raid, calling it a major blow to one of the most active trafficking rings operating in the Mediterranean migration corridor.
