• The organization, made up of citizens of Algerian and Spanish origin, made trips from the Alicante coast to Algeria transporting narcotics and took advantage of the return trip to illegally transport migrants to the Spanish coast.

• Nine people have been arrested, two have been released, and seven have been brought before the courts for crimes of smuggling, aiding and abetting illegal immigration, belonging to a criminal organization, and crimes against public health.

• Two semi-rigid boats measuring over seven and a half metres in length with high-power outboard motors, two vehicles, 26 cans of petrol, various mobile phones, including some satellite phones, GPS devices and knives have been seized.

May 6, 2025.- Customs Surveillance of the Tax Agency and the National Police have carried out a joint investigation regarding the crimes of aiding and abetting illegal immigration, drug trafficking and smuggling that has allowed the dismantling of a criminal organization established in Alicante and made up mostly of citizens of Algerian origin, with the support of Spanish citizens, dedicated to transporting narcotic substances, mainly cocaine and synthetic drug pills, from the coast of Alicante to Algeria, and then making the return journey with illegal migrants, using high-speed semi-rigid inflatable boats, 'rhib' type, known as 'narcolanchas' or 'pateras taxis'.

The investigation began in early 2025 after the Customs Surveillance Service and the Tax Agency's aircraft spotted one of the criminal organization's rhib-type vessels more than 40 miles off the Alicante coast, traveling at high speeds and with no merchandise on board. This boat was later located in one of the marinas in the province of Alicante.

Thus, a joint investigation was initiated between the Combined Customs Surveillance Unit and the National Police group specialized in the investigation of criminal networks and organizations, both from Alicante, confirming the existence of a criminal organization made up of citizens of Algerian and Spanish origin dedicated to drug trafficking, facilitating illegal immigration and smuggling with the purchase, storage and use of speedboats for the transport of migrants, from whom they charged between 6,000 and 10,000 euros per person, as well as narcotics.

Use of marinas as daycare centers for drug boats

Following this initial information, a joint operation was established between the Tax Agency's Customs Surveillance and the National Police, conducting surveillance and investigations in coastal areas of Alicante where the movement of "narco-boats" has been detected, as well as in the province's marinas.

As a result of the investigations and surveillance, several of the organization's vessels were located in different marinas in the province of Alicante, and several members of the organization, including the ringleaders, who resided in the province, were identified. During the investigation, a highly hierarchical structure was observed, with strong logistical support from transportation resources, and which provided continuous fuel supplies to the organization's vessels, as well as using them for logistics purposes to supply other vessels at sea. All of this was brought to the attention of the relevant court, which initiated secret preliminary proceedings to continue the investigation.

Organizational structure of the criminal organization

The organizational structure of the criminal group under investigation was comprised primarily of citizens of Algerian origin, although it was observed during the investigation that the organization also included Spanish citizens who provided logistical support in launching and collecting and storing the boats after sailing. Likewise, some of the boats docked in the marinas were registered in the name of one of the organization's members, in this case a Spanish citizen, to give their use a more legal appearance.

This group would thus form an international organization, as they also needed people in Algeria to advertise, recruit, and organize illegal immigrants to bring them to our shores, in exchange for the payment of large sums of money and the transfer of various types of narcotics.

The boats did not depart from the African continent, but rather from Alicante to Algeria to transport these narcotics and bring people back. The organization was based in the province of Alicante, where they had their base of operations.

Phases of exploitation

During the early hours of April 7, two of the organization's rhib-type vessels were observed departing for the Algerian coast. They had previously taken on the necessary gasoline to fill both the boats' tanks and the onboard fuel tanks. Officials from the Customs Surveillance and National Police investigative groups set up a response operation in anticipation of the imminent arrival of these vessels back to Spain. Finally, the first phase of the exploitation was precipitated by the arrival of one of the boats in the early hours of April 8, carrying 22 Algerian immigrants. They were disembarked on Cartagena beach and immediately detained.

The skipper, an Algerian national, was subsequently arrested, as was the owner of the semi-rigid boat, a Spanish national, who had come to the port to pick up the boat's crew. The other boat was eventually detained in Algeria by the country's police authorities.

These events led to the start of the second phase of the investigation, which consisted of the arrests of the remaining members of the organization under investigation, including the leader, who was of Algerian origin, following various raids and searches. The detainees were subsequently brought before the Torrevieja Investigative Court.

In the operation, two semi-rigid boats measuring more than seven and a half meters in length with high-power outboard motors, two vehicles, 26 cans of gasoline, various mobile phones, including some satellite phones, GPS devices and knives were seized.

The use and possession of this type of semi-rigid inflatable boat with certain characteristics, without having been officially registered with the Customs Department of the Tax Agency and/or based on evidence, constitutes a criminal offense under the Smuggling Law.

The operation is still ongoing and further arrests are not ruled out.