Moroccan gendarmes "on the payroll" of a dismantled criminal network

The conversations intercepted by the Civil Guard reveal that the members of this human trafficking network demanded to have "on their payroll" Moroccan gendarmes, fishermen, and an official. According to the information service of the Armed Institute, this criminal network operated on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar and offered bribes to the Moroccan security forces at each crossing, relays El Faro de Ceuta, which explains the modus operandi of the gang, in particular how they managed the payments, the itineraries and the contacts.

For the Civil Guard, it is an "organization perfectly structured and established for a long time", with a clear division of roles between Morocco, Ceuta and Algeciras. While the recruiters operated in Morocco, other members controlled the coast of Ceuta and the houses where they hid the migrants before their departure. In Algeciras, intermediaries welcomed the migrants to complete the process. The members of the network traveled frequently by ferry between Ceuta and Cadiz, posing as simple passengers, while in reality they were acting as intermediaries and supervisors.

The Civil Guard has located at least three dwellings used to hide migrants, including one in Poblado Sanidad, where the gang was dismantled at the end of October during the Barquera operation. This criminal organization left nothing to chance. The members of the network knew the best days to travel by sea, the schedules of the maritime service, and gave diversion tactics to the migrants in case they were intercepted. In their conversations, they explain that the "boys" had to be strong, able to descend "the entire Mount Musa on foot" to avoid checks.

In total, eleven people were arrested and placed in pre-trial detention, including the five alleged leaders of the network. The members of the network communicated using code words. In audio recordings, the network boasted of having "bought Moroccan agents". They explain that the Moroccan gendarmes escorted their boats transporting the migrants to Spanish waters and pretended to pursue an empty boat while letting the one carrying migrants pass.