People smugglers caught trying to sneak North African immigrants into Spain on the Costa Almeria

CREDIT: Polica National Almeria

THREE people smugglers are in an Almeria prison after a small boat with 35 illegal North African immigrants on board was rescued just off the provincial coast.
The just eight-metre long and two-metre wide craft had set off from a Moroccan beach to try and reach Spain, but was intercepted six nautical miles to the east of Cabo de Gata.
Investigations into which of the group had been skippering the craft began once the immigrants were safely on dry land and had received the necessary assistance, leading to the identification of the trio.
Police said one, 28-year-old Moroccan national KZ, had acted as the contact with the organisation behind the people smuggling operation. He had sorted out the price of the crossings with the immigrants and once they were all on the beach ready to set out had allocated each their space on the boat.
A second, 34-year-old AA, had the job of handling the motor and the tiller. From interviews with the immigrants it emerged he had also instructed them that if the craft were to be caught they were to tell the authorities they had all taken it in turns to steer.
The third detainee, a 45-year-old of Algerian origin, shared steering duties with the 34-year-old and had responsibility for the GPS and compass.
According to police each of the immigrants paid some €3,500 for their passage to Spain.
The three arrested men have been charged with a crime against the rights of foreign citizens and are being held behind bars awaiting trial.

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Written by

Cathy Elelman

Cathy Elelman is the local writer for the Costa de Almeria edition of the Euro Weekly News.

Based in Mojacar for the last 21 years, Cathy is very much part of the local community and is always well and truly up on all the latest news and events going on in this region of Spain.

Her top goals are to do the best job she can informing the local English-speaking community, visitors to the area and the wider world about about the news in Almeria, to learn something new every day, and to embrace very new challenge this fast-changing world brings her way.

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