Spanish police detain five suspected migrant smugglers operating from Ceuta

Spanish police announced the detention of five people suspected of running a migrant-smuggling network that ferried undocumented individuals from Ceuta to the Spanish mainland for fees as high as €9,000. The arrests stem from separate probes in Ceuta and La Linea de la Concepcion, near Gibraltar. According to the Interior Ministry, the traffickers employed small, fast boats and selected experienced drivers to evade police checks.

In one incident, a five-meter dinghy packed with seven migrants drifted for five hours after its fuel was exhausted, lacking life jackets or other safety gear. The crackdown follows a deadly border surge in late July, when over 70,000 migrants entered Ceuta irregularly, causing dozens of fatalities. Ceuta’s leader Juan Jesus Vivas reported the death toll to EU officials, while NGO Caminando Fronteras gave a higher figure.

Italy briefly halted Schengen travel with Spain, prompting reciprocal border controls. Most of the recent arrivals have returned to Morocco, but thousands remain in makeshift camps, prompting plans for temporary shelters.