A criminal network accused of transporting migrants from Algeria to Spain in high-powered speedboats has been dismantled following a joint operation in Alicante and Murcia.
Five people were arrested and two vessels seized during the investigation, conducted by the National Police and the Tax Agency’s Customs Surveillance Service.
The suspects are also being investigated over serious injuries suffered by a 15-year-old boy who was struck by a boat’s propeller after migrants were allegedly forced to jump into the sea off Águilas.
The investigation began in early July following the arrival of a speedboat carrying at least 24 Algerian nationals, including four minors, on the Murcia coast.
Officers from the National Police’s immigration and border units in Alicante and Murcia worked alongside Customs Surveillance investigators to identify the alleged pilots and locate sites where vessels were hidden and modified after completing crossings.
According to investigators, the organisation repeatedly changed the boats’ names, registration details and identification markings in an attempt to prevent them from being recognised.
Passengers abandoned at sea
Several days later, investigators detected a speedboat off the Murcia coast waiting to receive fuel from another vessel allegedly involved in illegal fuel smuggling.
After realising that they had been discovered, the crew reportedly ordered the passengers to jump into the sea without life jackets or other survival equipment. They then fled at high speed, leaving the migrants in open water.
During the escape, the speedboat made a sharp turn and one of its propellers struck a 15-year-old boy. He suffered serious injuries to his chest and limbs and was taken urgently to hospital, where he underwent surgery.
A Customs Surveillance patrol boat from Alicante pursued the vessel through difficult weather conditions and eventually detained the four men allegedly responsible for operating it.
Two were subsequently remanded in custody following an appearance before a court in Alicante.
The rescue operation revealed the extreme danger faced by the abandoned passengers. Police said several required resuscitation after swallowing seawater because they could not swim.
Some had also suffered first- and second-degree burns to their legs and buttocks. Investigators believe the injuries were caused when petrol spilled inside the boat came into contact with salt water.
Searches in Alicante and Mutxamel
The investigation later led officers to a fifth suspect, who is accused of supplying fuel to the organisation’s vessels while they were at sea.
Following his arrest, police searched properties in Alicante city and Mutxamel.
At the Alicante address, officers found an 8mm revolver and ten rounds of 9mm ammunition.
A pellet gun was seized at the Mutxamel property, together with another vessel allegedly used by the network. The semi-rigid inflatable boat was fitted with a high-powered engine.
Police also recovered the van and trailer reportedly used to transport it to the coast.
The five suspects face allegations including membership of a criminal organisation, facilitating illegal immigration, smuggling, assault, serious disobedience of law enforcement officers and the possession or storage of flammable, explosive or incendiary substances.
Migrants charged up to €10,000
Investigators believe migrants were charged between €6,000 and €10,000 each for the journey from Algeria to Spain.
Payments were allegedly made to a member of the organisation in Algeria, either in cash through relatives or through hawala, an informal money-transfer system operating outside conventional banks.
More than 20 passengers could be carried on each crossing.
Police also suspect that return journeys to Algeria were used to transport drugs between the two coasts.
The organisation is believed to have possessed considerable technical and logistical resources, including satellite communication equipment.
One intercepted vessel was a rigid-hulled speedboat measuring approximately 12 metres and powered by two 300-horsepower outboard engines. Its estimated value exceeds €160,000.
