• The investigation, which has lasted more than a year, culminates with a total of 13 arrests and multiple mobile terminals have been seized for analysis.

• The operation is still open and the intervention of more material resources is not ruled out.

• The use of five boats has been confirmed for the irregular transfer of at least 45 people who have allegedly paid the network up to 13,000 euros, which would mean profits of more than 550,000 euros for the organization.

May 23, 2025.- Customs Surveillance officers from the Tax Agency in Melilla, in collaboration with National Police officers assigned to the Unit Against Illegal Immigration Networks and Document Forgery (UCRIF) in Melilla, have dismantled a criminal organization based in Melilla and Morocco dedicated to the trafficking of people, specifically Moroccan citizens, who were illegally brought into Spain, either to Melilla or to mainland Spain, from northern Morocco. In addition, they carried out logistical tasks, supplying vessels at sea with gasoline and supplies. Thirteen people have been arrested.

The investigation began in March 2024 when it became known that a criminal organization, based in the city of Melilla, could be facilitating illegal immigration along the Andalusian coast through recreational vessels and mother ships.

The network used small recreational boats, which, at the time of the crime, were registered in the names of front men, that is, third parties who did not materially participate in the events but who, in exchange for a sum of money, agreed to act as the owners of the boats, making it difficult for the police investigation to reach the organization's top leaders.

Throughout the investigation, it was found that the network was stratified into four distinct hierarchical levels, which were occupied by its members based on the functions each performed. Thus, it was determined that the highest echelon was occupied by the organizers, the second level was made up of members of the network in charge of logistical matters related to the actual commission of the crimes, a third echelon occupied by the pilots of the vessels used, and the fourth and final level comprised the front men.

"Modus operandi"

Investigators have found that the organization included nuances in its operations depending on the circumstances surrounding each criminal act. Thus, in all cases, the people to be transported were picked up at a specific point on the Moroccan coast and sent directly to Spanish soil, either by grounding the boat on the beach of Melilla and subsequently setting it on fire with the intention of eliminating evidence, or by notifying Maritime Rescue of their arrival on the coast of Motril (Granada).

In another case, the network used a "zodiac" type vessel that acted as both a receiver and delivery vessel, receiving the contingent of people from Morocco on the high seas and then transporting them to the Cabo de Gata area (Almería) and leaving them in small groups scattered along the entire coast, thus avoiding interception by both the (slower) mother vessel and the people on land by the State Security Forces.

During the commission of the crime, Moroccan authorities managed to arrest two members of the network on the spot, who were imprisoned in the neighboring country.

On several occasions, these vessels have also been seen leaving port to supply fuel and supplies to these mother ships, which have been waiting at sea for days.

During the investigation, it was determined that each person paid the network an amount ranging between 12,000 and 13,000 euros. To date, three specific criminal acts have been committed, involving the illegal transportation of 45 people using a total of five vessels, generating estimated profits for the organization's members exceeding 550,000 euros.

As a result of the investigation, officers arrested 13 people, eleven of them in Melilla and two in Malaga. They also seized several mobile devices used by members of the organization. Their investigation and analysis are pending in order to uncover new evidence about the network's criminal activity.

The Court of First Instance and Instruction No. 4 of Melilla is hearing the facts.