A teenager is arrested smuggling Syrians by boat into Almeria

The National Police have arrested a 17-year-old Algerian teenager who was smuggling Syrians into Spain via Almeria aboard a power boat.

The six metre boat intercepted on April 25^th in the early hours of the morning, was equipped with a 100 horsepower outboard motor enabling the young man to ferry his passengers across the Mediterranean.

According to the police when he was caught and arrested he had eleven Syrians on board each of whom had paid him 5,000 euros for the journey.

The boat apparently left the beach of Ain el Turk in Algeria during the night with the 17-year-old navigating, refuelling and baling the water out of the boat during the crossing. By all accounts the boat was not fully seaworthy but it still made it to the shores of Almeria.

Police had been notified of the vessel headed towards the beach and were apparently waiting for detainee and his passengers to arrive and disembark at which point he was detained.

As he is under the age of 18 he has been placed at the disposal of the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office, whilst the Syrians have been taken into custody by emigration officials.

People smuggling remains a big problem all along the Mediterranean coast however this case is said to be unusual given the age of the smuggler, as a teenager he has been arrested and placed into custody whilst police conduct further investigations into who else might be involved in the smuggling of the Syrians.

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