Twenty-One Arrested In Spain After Police Human Trafficking Operation

A multi-national police operation has seen police make 21 arrests in Spain including Tenerife, Malaga, Madrid, Alicante and Valencia.

Information released on Monday, July 24, has given details on an investigation into the illegal smuggling of Cuban citizens into Spain, writes Policia Nacional.

The operation was carried out by Spain’s National Police, the Serbian Police and the Greek Police, in collaboration with Interpol and Europol. Under investigation was a transnational criminal organisation who were illegally smuggling Cuban nationals into Spain.

Police uncovered a criminal gang who trafficked persons from Cuba to Spain, via Serbia, where they were not required to obtain a visa at the border. From there they then travelled to Greece and finally, they flew to Spain.

The criminal network used a well-known messaging application to advertise its services, and charged people around €9,000 for the journey, including transfers and the false documentation.

During the investigation, a total of 62 people have been arrested in different member states. Of these, 25 were Cuban nationals using false documentation and 37 belonged to the criminal organisation.

Of the 37 arrested, 21 were spread across Spain, including Tenerife, Malaga, Madrid, Toledo, Ciudad Real, Alicante, Girona and Valencia. Another 8 were arrested in Serbia and 8 in Greece.

In addition, 14 searches were carried out in Alicante, Valencia, Girona, and Ciudad Real, two in Serbia and four in Greece. As a result of the operation, 18 properties, 33 movable assets and 144 bank accounts have been blocked.

The investigation began after identifying numerous Cuban citizens with forged documents trying to cross the border to enter Europe. The organisation that provided the illegal service advertised on a well-known messaging app where they lured vulnerable Cuban clients.

Gang Exploited Migrants

The gang transported the migrants from Cuba to Serbia, where, until a month ago, a visa was not required to gain entry. Once there, letters of invitation were forged to simulate their legal entry, and the organisation provided them with accommodation near the border with North Macedonia.

From the border, they started to travel in large groups to Greece. There were several routes to Greece. Some travelled from North Macedonia to Greece and from there to Spain or from Serbia to Bosnia and Herzegovina-Croatia-Croatia-Slovenia-Italy-Spain.

The Croatia-Slovenia-Italy route was particularly hazardous and involved the collaboration of other criminal organisations that helped them to cross. Sometimes they made the transfer in vehicles but mostly they did it on foot, walking for up to 13 hours in the dark, without food and in adverse conditions.

In addition, the gang took advantage of the vulnerability of the migrants and the fact that they were sometimes children. Many of the migrants were robbed, and some of the women were even transferred to other criminal groups to be sexually exploited.

To enter the Schengen area through Greece, the criminal organisation provided false documentation or authentic ID cards with a strong physical resemblance to the migrant so that they could board a flight to Spain undetected.

Lucrative Smuggling Racket

To recruit the Cuban nationals, the criminal network used a messaging application where they advertised how the transfer would take place and that they would charge them around €9,000 euros for the trip, the transfer and the false documentation provided or the stolen or lost ID cards. They would buy these documents for €300 euros which they returned them to the organisation once they crossed the border. In this way, the same DNI was used on several occasions to cross the border.

Investigators estimate that the organisation has been able to traffic more than 5,000 Cuban citizens, which would mean a profit of around €45 million.

In the searches carried out in Spain, police seized almost €97,000 euros, and more than €100,000 euros including foreign currencies from the USA, Serbia and Russia.

They also confiscated 450 identity documents from various countries, three vehicles, 16 mobile phones, three laptops, numerous bank cards, storage devices and other various documents.

As a result of the operation, 18 real estate properties, 33 movable properties and 144 bank accounts have been blocked.  A further six detainees remain in pre-trial detention.