Algerians Arrested Over Transfering Illegal Migrants From Spain to France
The Spanish Civil Guard Services, in the region of Murcia, southeastern Spain, arrested four Algerian nationals, aged between 22 and 34 years, who were active in a cell for trafficking in human beings through transporting them from the western Algerian coasts towards the Iberian Peninsula, in addition to their planning to carry out an initial transfer of illegal migrants who arrived in southern France after settling for a few days in the territory of Murcia.
The four Algerians were arrested by the Anti-Illegal Immigration and Forged Documents Services, a security body created by the Spanish authorities affiliated with the Spanish Civil Guard, after in-depth investigations carried out recently, against the background of confessions provided by one of the arrested Algerian immigrants at the beginning of last February about the activity of a secret cell led by Algerians and a Moroccan, who asked illegal immigrants to pay over 1,000 euros in exchange for securing the passage of one person to the south of France.
According to Echorouk sources, the dismantled cell was active within a criminal group that smuggled illegal immigrants from Algeria to Murcia, to collect money and profits by illegal means, benefiting its members, who gained from each illegal immigrant between 3000 and 5000 euros to board on a “taxi boat” providing various sailing equipment, as the total benefits for these people reach 60,000 euros per trip.
The same sources indicated, in some detail, that the security prosecution launched by the Spanish Civil Guard forces in the recent period, in light of the information they had regarding the intensification of trafficking activities from Spain to southern France, resulted in the arrest of two people on charges of driving a small boat illegally, when they tried to sail from the sea point linking Cabo de Palos and La Manga towards Algerian waters, specifically the coast of Ain Temouchent (western Algeria), to transport 12 illegal migrants to Spain in preparation for taking them to southern France, in record time.
Two other Algerians residing in the coastal area called “Marathon” in the region of Murcia were arrested and security investigations showed that they were responsible for providing logistical coverage for illegal migrants coming from Algeria to Spanish soil. The Spanish Civil Guard services seized their fast boat with an outboard motor of 150 horsepower, a truck and a trailer used to transport boats.
The sources explained that the cell itself, not only smuggled Algerian illegal migrants from Algerian beaches but also secured their access to southern France with the imposition of 1,000 euros as additional costs outside the money they earned from secret sailing trips from the coasts of Algeria to the Spanish banks, and facilitate their access to the Bayonne city which is located on the Spanish-French border, and then many Algerians spend the night in a village of Pusa in the same French city, to continue their adventure, either on buses or by train towards Corsica, the Province and Bordeaux.
Previously, the news website “El Imperial” revealed, a week ago, that 5 boats arrived in the Murcia region, carrying 65 Algerian illegal migrants who were transferred to a shelter for migrants supervised by the International Red Cross, with the activation of the health protocol for the “Covid-19” epidemic that is applicable in such cases, in light of the continuous closure of the usual asylum centres for clandestine immigrants due to the Corona pandemic.
