Police expose Almería port base that trafficked immigrants to Spain, drugs via Africa

Police arrested 19 people for smuggling immigrants and drugs across North Africa to Spain in water taxis.

They charged up to 5,000 euros for transferring immigrants to points on the Almeria coast.

Cocaine, methamphetamine and stolen mobile phones would also be shipped back to Algeria, where the drugs would sell for more.

“The crossings posed a serious risk to the lives of migrants, including a shipwreck, like the one that occurred last October in which two people died,” said the Civil Guard.

The Police seized 17 boats, more than 48,000 euros and 90,000 ecstasy pills while searching seven homes in the province of Almería.

The police uncovered the plot on the Internet, where agents discovered a series of offers for organized boat trips for immigrants ‘in vulnerable situations’.

The group had established their home port in Almería, where they maintained boats and made trips to pick up migrants in Africa.

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