Spanish authorities say they dismantled a human trafficking organisation smuggling migrants into EU

A human trafficking organisation that smuggled Moroccan migrants into Spain and other EU countries was dismantled in southern Spain, government officials announced Sunday.

Spanish authorities claim the organisation contacted Moroccan nationals wanting to migrate to Spain and flew them into Romania.

Once in Romania, they travelled by land to Spain through other EU countries inside trucks or vans.

The Spanish Civil Guard law enforcement agency said in a statement that the organisation made more than 50 trips to Spain during a two-year period, with groups between 20 and 50 migrants, who paid €3,000 per person.

Four people were detained in the city of Cartagena in the Murcia region during a raid which took place sometime during the past days, accused of belonging to a criminal organisation and human trafficking.

The logistics centre of the organisation was allegedly set in Romania, where the leader of the gang functioned as a link between the members in Spain, Morocco and Romania, establishing prices to hisse by migrants as well as travel logistics.

In order to mislead the police, the detainees used shuttle vehicles and smuggled the migrants through border crossings under poor surveillance.

The operation was carried out in coordination with Europol and Frontex European Border and Coast Guard Agency.