Two-way migrant smuggling network busted in France and Spain

Europol supported the French National Police (Police Nationale/OLTIM Perpignan) and the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional/UCRIF Central) in dismantling an organised criminal network smuggling migrants of Algerian and Moroccan origin from Spain to France as well as in the opposite direction, from the United Kingdom to Spain. In addition to the arrests made in Spain and France, during action days, French law enforcement intercepted a British national connected to the wider criminal network. The suspect was caught in the act while transporting 12 irregular migrants from the United Kingdom to France across the Channel.

The investigation, initiated in August 2024, has revealed the extensive operations of a criminal network involved in large-scale migrant smuggling across the European Union and beyond. Law enforcement authorities have so far uncovered 38 migrant smuggling instances directly linked to this network since the beginning of the investigation. Further intelligence and forensic analyses have enabled investigators to link an additional 100 smuggling incidents, which occurred since 2021, to the same criminal organisation. The network is believed to have facilitated the illegal entry of approximately 1 000 migrants into the EU. The smuggling activities were characterised by well-coordinated logistics and planning, indicative of a highly organised criminal network active across multiple jurisdictions in and out of the EU.

The action days 13 to 16 June 2025 in France and Spain led to:

• 7 arrests (3 in France and 4 in Spain)
• 4 house searches (2 in France and 2 in Spain)
• Seizures included 4 vehicles, over EUR 50 000 cash in different currencies (euros, pounds and dirhams) and electronic devices

From Spain to the UK and back

The migrant smuggling network, based in Barcelona, was operating under the coordination of its leader, based in Paris. Through close international cooperation, authorities were able to uncover the structure of the network, which facilitated the movement of irregular migrants via an established smuggling route from Murcia, Spain, towards France. However, since January 2025, investigators have also established that the network’s leader maintained regular contact with UK-based smugglers. These accomplices were responsible for transporting migrants from the UK back to Calais, concealed in cargo vans crossing the Channel by ferry. Members of the criminal network based in France would then drive the migrants to Spain, effectively creating a two-way smuggling operation and generating profits from both directions on the same migrant smuggling route.

Wide net for smugglers with shifting tactics

This criminal network had operational reach across two distinct migratory routes: the secondary movement of migrants from Spain across Western Europe and the English Channel route. The criminal facilitation of secondary movements across the EU consists of inland transfer of irregular migrants who initially entered the EU by sea via the Western Mediterranean and later moved from Spain to France. A feature of the business models used by the network was the use of vans rather than boats, to move migrants across the Channel. During the smuggling operations, migrants were transported from the UK to France in concealed compartments within commercial vehicles, often under extremely dangerous conditions. In many cases, they were found crowded in vans without proper ventilation or safety measures, or hidden among commercial goods loaded onto large cargo vehicles. In addition to the serious risks posed to the lives of the migrants, this method also illustrates the adaptability and cross-border coordination of the criminal organisation.

Europol enabled the exchange of information and provided operational coordination, and analytical support. During the action days, Europol facilitated the deployment of one French investigator to Spain, and that of a Spanish investigator to France. Europol also deployed an expert to Spain to facilitate the real-time exchange of information and cross-check operational information against Europol’s databases, providing immediate leads to investigators in the field.

More information: Europol