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Date Published: 17/09/2021
ARCHIVED - Seven arrested for transporting irregular migrants to the Region of Murcia
Criminal gangs are responsible for the endless stream of immigrants reaching Murcia
The Policía Nacional have made a series of arrests in connection to the arrival of large numbers of irregular immigrants to the Region of Murcia in recent weeks and months.
Seven individuals have been arrested so far, all of whom are Algerian and are aged between 25 and 37 years old, and they are allegedly involved with organising and captaining boats filled with irregular immigrants which travel from Africa to the coast of Murcia.
The detainees attempted to blend in amongst the over 200 migrants who illegally entered Spain, but the authorities soon linked them to the immigration mafias who are responsible for transporting foreign citizens to the Costa Cálida.
Specifically, two of the men were linked to a boat intercepted in August which was found by coastal authorities after being adrift for more than four days. Some of the passengers, including two minors, were showing symptoms of dehydration and skin burns caused from long hours of exposure to the sun, an example of how little the immigration mafias care for the safety of the immigrants they transport.
However, the arrival of irregular migrants is not limited to the Region of Murcia, as the criminal gangs also operate frequently on the Costa del Sol in Andalucía and the Costa Blanca in the Comunidad Valenciana, as well as in the Balearic Islands.
These mafias are currently using two different methods to bring immigrants to Spain; the first is using barely seaworthy boats captained by a member of the criminal organisation which are then abandoned on the coast as the captain blends in with the rest of the migrants; and the second is using higher-quality speed boats to drop off irregular immigrants on the coast and then return to Africa. This last method cuts the 15-hour journey down to around four hours.
The Spanish enclave of Melilla, on the African coast, is also involved in an endless stream of immigration problems and on Thursday September 16, over 100 migrants attempted to scale the border fence.
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