The National Police and Civil Guard in Spain have successfully dismantled an organised crime group that specialised in trafficking immigrants and illegal substances using high-speed boats in the regions of Rojales, Elche, and Molina de Segura in Murcia. This operation was bolstered by a tragic traffic accident in November, which resulted in the deaths of two British tourists after their vehicle collided with a trailer carrying the group’s speedboat.

The investigation began following the arrest of three individuals on the sixth of October, during a routine patrol near La Manga del Mar Menor. Authorities found a motorised inflatable boat loaded with fuel, food supplies, and navigational equipment. This led to a deeper inquiry, culminating in a crackdown on a suspected human trafficking operation intended to utilise the inflatable for travel across the Strait of Gibraltar.

The fatal accident on the sixteenth of November involved a collision caused when a vehicle obstructed La Manga’s main road with a trailer carrying an inflatable boat. This accident resulted in two fatalities and left eleven others injured. Following this, investigators confirmed links between the parties involved and the criminal network, utilising advanced forensic and investigative techniques to trace the vehicle used in the incident, as well as other assets.

On the twenty-fifth of February, the authorities executed an extensive joint operation that led to the arrest of seventeen individuals connected to the organisation. Those arrested face multiple charges including homicide, drug trafficking, and belonging to a criminal group. The operation resulted in the seizure of firearms, a vehicle implicated in the earlier accident, equipment for drug trafficking, and a quantity of illegal drugs.