Spanish and French police have dismantled an alleged criminal network accused of transporting undocumented migrants from Alicante to France in return for payments of around €200 per person.
Three suspects have been arrested during the joint cross-border investigation, with two remanded in custody. Police believe the organisation carried out more than 20 illegal journeys and generated approximately €100,000.
The investigation began after French authorities detected repeated border crossings involving the same vehicle and linked them to the suspected ringleader. Further enquiries identified additional vehicles and uncovered a pattern of journeys consistent with organised migrant smuggling.
Investigators established that the principal suspect made at least seven trips during May and June, travelling from Alicante to France through the La Jonquera–Le Perthus border crossing.
Continued intelligence-sharing between Spanish and French police indicated that the group had organised more than 20 irregular border crossings.
The suspected ringleader was eventually arrested in France after allegedly being caught transporting several undocumented migrants. French authorities subsequently issued a European Investigation Order allowing officers to search his Alicante home and examine his financial activities.
During the raid, police seized €3,190 in cash, personal and vehicle documents, keys to another vehicle and a batch of business cards advertising taxi services. The cards displayed a telephone number allegedly used by the suspect.
Police believe the network transported between five and six migrants on each journey, charging each passenger approximately €200. Although investigators have provisionally estimated the organisation’s earnings at around €100,000, the full financial scale of the operation has yet to be established.
The investigation remains open, with officers tracing transactions through four bank accounts connected to the suspects. The analysis is expected to help determine how much money the alleged smuggling operation generated and whether other individuals were involved.
