Spanish-Led Raid Smashes Mediterranean Smuggling Network
A large multinational police operation led by Spain has broken up a major people-smuggling network operating across the Mediterranean, with 78 people arrested, authorities said. The raids targeted a ring accused of moving migrants to Europe by sea in dangerous conditions. It was one of the biggest such operations in the region this year.
People-smuggling gangs have grown into sprawling criminal enterprises, charging desperate people large sums for perilous crossings that have cost thousands of lives. Coordinated cross-border operations like this one, involving police from several countries, are increasingly the tool of choice as Europe struggles to stem irregular migration by sea. The arrests come amid a charged debate across the continent over borders, inflamed by the recent mass crossing into Spain’s Ceuta enclave. Dismantling one network, however, rarely halts the trade for long. Watch whether the operation dents the crossings or the routes simply shift.