Police crackdown on Spain’s borders during North Africa summer migration

SPAIN’S security forces have so far  detected  about  800 crimes, including 125 attempts to illegally enter the European Union by hiding in vehicles or using false documentation, during the annual migration of workers between Europe and North Africa for their summer holidays.

The main purpose of Operation Minerva 2017 is to fight against cross-border crime, including the terrorist threat. The operation takes place annually from the middle of July.

Almost 700,000 inspections of individuals  have been seen so far  in the Spanish  ports of Algeciras, Tarifa and Ceuta.

Several stolen vehicles have also been recovered and incidents related to drug trafficking and other criminal activities have been reported.

In addition to the Spanish police presence, agents  from  European member states including Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Holland, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden and Norway have participated in the operations.