(AFP) Spanish police said Saturday they have broken up a gang suspected of smuggling Albanian migrants including children into Britain, hidden as stowaways in dangerous conditions aboard ferries and merchant ships.
Officers arrested seven suspects, all Albanians from an “important criminal organisation,” during the operation carried out in cooperation with Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA), the Guardia Civil police force said.
Among those arrested are the two suspected ringleaders, who were detained Monday about to board a flight at Madrid airport bound for Albania, the force said in a statement.
The smugglers charged Albanians up to 15,000 euros ($14,600) to stow them away from ports in northern Spain.
