Spain arrests Albanian gang involved in smuggling

• Spanish authorities announced on Saturday that they had detained members of a gang-related to a people-trafficking network.
• This gang was responsible for smuggling Albanian migrants from Spain to Britain by concealing them on boats and ferries.
• The migrants, some of whom were children, paid the gang an amount ranging from $2,922.30 to 15,000 euros.

Spanish authorities announced on Saturday that they had detained members of a gang that was related to a people-trafficking network. This network was responsible for the smuggling of Albanian migrants from Spain to Britain by concealing them on boats and ferries.

The migrants, some of whom were children, paid the gang an amount ranging from 3,000 euros ($2,922.30) to 15,000 euros in order to make the dangerous trek to Britain.

According to the Civil Guard, the gang has been involved in the trafficking of migrants from Albania to the United Kingdom since 2014. However, it is unknown how many people have made the journey.

As part of an operation conducted in conjunction with the British National Crime Agency, seven citizens of Albania were taken into custody.

The migrants would set up camp in the vicinity of the ports of Santander and Bilbao in northern Spain before embarking on their journey to the ports of Portsmouth, Southampton, and Liverpool in the United Kingdom via ferries and freight shipping routes.

According to the statement made by the Civil Guard, “the hiding methods used constituted a risk to the life or physical safety of the migrant, some of whom were youngsters.”

The accused suspects, who have not been named, were taken into custody between the dates of October 3 and 5. On Friday, they went to a court in the city of Barakaldo, which is located in the north of Spain. Two were ordered to remain in detention while the other five were granted conditional bail and freed.

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