Spanish police on Thursday said they had broken up a network suspected of smuggling at least 70 Syrian and Algerian migrants to Spain and made three arrests.
The migrants paid the smuggling ring up to 10,000 euros ($10,800) each for trips on small boats from Algeria to Spain before travelling to other European countries, police said in a statement.
The boats lacked any safety measures, water or food, posing a “serious risk” to the migrants’ lives, while the organisation used violence against those who failed to pay on time, it added.
The migrants suffered “dire” living conditions in the Madrid and nearby Toledo regions before continuing to other destinations in Spain and elsewhere in Europe, notably Germany, police said.
The authorities arrested three people in the Toledo area, including the group’s leader who was placed in detention.
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