Madrid, Spain — Spanish police said Monday they had arrested 20 alleged human smugglers operating through the Ceuta exclave bordering Morocco.
They are thought to be responsible for a February shipwreck in which four migrants drowned and are accused of trafficking migrants in rickety boats, each carrying between seven and 10 people, between North Africa and Spain.
Their victims, mostly underage Moroccans, were approached in Ceuta, police said in a statement.
They then traveled the few kilometers to the Iberian peninsula, paying an average of 2,500 euros ($3,000) apiece.
In the bust, some 150 police officers backed by Europol agents seized three boats, five firearms, ammunit…
Keep on reading: Spain arrests 20 alleged human smugglers