In a recent statement, the Spanish Ministry of the Interior said that the arrested individuals mainly targeted Indians and orchestrated their journey through Bahrain and Egypt before reaching Libya, EU Helpers reports.
From there, the migrants boarded overcrowded boats for a dangerous 28-hour journey across the Mediterranean to Lampedusa, Italy. The boats, carrying more than 130 people, lacked essential supplies such as food and water, underscoring the dire conditions facing those trying to reach Europe.
Migrants Used Fake Passports to Get Through Checks
According to the Ministry, in 2022, a broad investigation began, exposing a large criminal network operating in several countries. The network, based mainly in Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao) and Italy, with links in Libya, Bolivia and Mexico, was involved in the illegal trafficking of Indian immigrants.
After arriving in Italy, the criminal network kept the migrants in Turin before flying them to Zaragoza or Barcelona. They used fake passports or passports of people who looked like migrants to get them through.
In Spain, the organisation’s travel agencies arranged the next steps of the journey. They helped the migrants travel to various cities in Mexico, where they were picked up by smugglers, known as “coyotes,” who then smuggled them into the United States.
2nd Smuggling Network Targeted Bolivian Immigrants
Another organisation branch focused on Bolivian immigrants, using a similar structure. This faction had recruiters in Bolivia and used travel agencies in Spain to arrange the passage of migrants through Turkey or Egypt.
Once in Spain, the migrants were given Spanish passports of naturalised Bolivians to bypass border controls, with each trip costing between €8,000 and €10,000. The investigation led to ten searches in Catalonia, where authorities seized over €500,000 in cash, 11 passports and other key documents.
