Spanish Police Arrest Two in Child Trafficking Network Linked to Migrant Center

The two Moroccans were fired in April 2018 after the national police, as part of a joint operation with Europol, accused them of trafficking in foreign minors. The prosecution is asking the judge to sentence the woman to seven years in prison and the man to six months in prison. Twelve other people, members of this network, risk a total of 63 years and six months in prison, reports El Commercio.

The members of the network are accused of having billed up to 8,000 euros to the families of the minors to have them illegally enter Spain. They had to pay around 2,000 euros for a boat trip, 5,000 euros if they opted for a jet ski and 2,500 euros if they preferred their children to travel by car or truck.

To read: Moroccan Smugglers Arrested in Spanish Enclave of Melilla for Human Trafficking

"Moroccans arrived and said they were minors, that they had no family and that they were looking for help. We don’t know how they got to the Asturias from Morocco. This is not normal," official sources had indicated in 2016. This influx of Moroccan minor migrants continued until the end of 2017, the same sources said.

The members of this child trafficking network are being prosecuted for offenses of illegal immigration and attacks on life. The prosecution has requested 7 years in prison against the cook, in charge of informing the organization of vacant positions, monitoring the minors and even housing them at home. The translator, for his part, risks six months in prison. His role in the network was to give the minors the story they had to tell to be welcomed in the centers.