Human Trafficking Gang Busted

Spanish police have busted 11 members of a suspected human trafficking gang for smuggling 350 illegal immigrants into the country to the tune of 20,000 EUR a pop.

 

The alleged gang members were arrested in the north-eastern Spanish city of Barcelona for demanding 20,000 EUR (17,145 GBP) from Asian citizens wanting to enter Europe.

Around 350 illegal immigrants arrived from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India to the Spanish coast, according to reports.

The investigation started when the authorities noticed that many illegal immigrants entering the southern Spanish province of Cadiz were of Asian origin.

Gang members are accused of coordinating their transportation through networks set up in the Asian countries as well several transit states.

The main operation was based in Spain where suspects monitored the migrants from the beginning of their journey until their arrival in Europe.

According to Spanish police, the gang charged migrants between 14,000 to 20,000 EUR (12,000 to 17,145 GBP) and they were first brought to Morocco and put up in rundown homes before entering Spain.

The gang provided them with fake documentation and IDs to allow them to enter Spain without being detected, according to local media.

The police raided three homes and five shops in Barcelona and arrested 11 people, mostly of Bangladesh nationality.

Cops seized 18,000 EUR (15,435 GBP) in cash, fake documents, official Bangladesh stamps, 32 passports, 200 forms of ID and electrical devices, according to reports.

The investigation is ongoing.