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Date Published: 03/09/2021
ARCHIVED - 12 arrested for organising irregular immigrant boats to Cadiz
The authorities in Andalucía have arrested the captains of different boats caught attempting to reach the Costa del Sol
As a large number of immigrants from Morocco, Algeria and other African countries continue to attempt dangerous trips across the Mediterranean to reach the Spanish coast, both the mainland and the Canaries, the authorities are closing in on the criminal organisations responsible for these reckless journeys.
Throughout the months of July and August, the Policía Nacional in Andalucía have detained 12 Moroccan citizens in San Roque (Cádiz) for piloting boats which were used to transport irregular migrants to the Costa del Sol.
The majority of the detainees were arrested without bail, due to the lack of concern for human life they showed towards their victims, who pay large sums of money for places on these boats.
Further investigations are still underway to uncover the identity of more members of the criminal gangs who transport foreign citizens to the province of Cádiz, but it can be difficult to determine who aboard the migrant boats is the one in charge, as in most cases, the irregular immigrants are told to say that the ship is being captained by everyone onboard to avoid revealing those responsible.
These groups have been known to charge up to €6,000 per person, taking advantage of those desperate to reach Spain by any means possible, and the boats used are normally barely seaworthy, which has meant that, unfortunately, many victims have lost their lives during the dangerous journey, including a recent incident in which 47 migrants died en route to the Canaries.
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