Granada authorities investigate two Moroccan men for abandoning minor smuggled by sea

Granada police have detained two Moroccan nationals, a 17-year-old boy’s uncle and a family friend, on suspicion of abandoning the minor after transporting him illegally from Morocco by sea.

The pair is also facing charges related to facilitating illegal immigration.

According to a statement from the Spanish National Police, the incident began several weeks ago when the boy’s uncle, who holds legal residency in Spain, smuggled the teenager by boat to a province neighboring Granada. 

The minor stayed briefly with his uncle before being handed over to a family friend who transported him to Granada City.

Authorities say the men staged a false scenario by pretending to have found the boy abandoned on the streets of Granada. The intent was to deliver the minor to the police under the pretense that he was homeless and in need of protection. 

This maneuver aimed to secure the boy’s admission to a juvenile care center in Granada, which could pave the way for him to obtain residency rights and eventually facilitate family reunification with relatives still in Morocco.

Upon arrival at the police station in Granada’s northern district, officers promptly initiated his temporary placement in a youth center operated by the Andalusian regional government. Simultaneously, an investigation was launched to verify the boy’s identity and family background.

Findings confirmed that the boy’s parents reside in Morocco and had consented to the uncle’s plan to bring him to Spain, hoping he would receive accommodation, education, and social support through the Andalusian public services system.

Both men were formally charged with child abandonment and aiding illegal immigration. Following their arrest, they were released pending court proceedings.