Barcelona police have arrested a 42-year-old woman in the Sant Martí district for her alleged involvement in a criminal network smuggling underage migrants from Somalia to Northern Europe.
The Mossos d’Esquadra detained the woman on 20 November at a Barcelona hotel where she was staying with two minors who had arrived the previous day via El Prat airport.
According to the Catalan police, the network charged families up to $10,000 per child to transport them through Spain to final destinations in Sweden or Finland.
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The operation involved providing minors with passports belonging to European Union citizens with similar physical characteristics to avoid detection at airport security checks.
Barcelona Arrest Reveals Sophisticated Smuggling Network
The investigation revealed a sophisticated operation exploiting vulnerable young people. The woman arrested had allegedly taken over the care of the two minors after their initial contact person disappeared following their arrival in Spain. She provided them with accommodation at a Barcelona hotel while arranging their onward travel.
Police confirmed the documents carried by the minors showed no physical signs of tampering or forgery. However, they corresponded to the identities of the individuals carrying them, suggesting the use of legitimate but fraudulently obtained passports from Schengen area countries.
Furthermore, the network equipped the children with mobile phones to maintain contact with their families and provided bank cards for their journey. The two minors involved in this specific case have been transferred to a Generalitat protection centre after authorities activated child protection protocols.
The woman faces charges of crimes against the rights of foreign citizens, motivated by financial gain while exploiting the vulnerability of victims. She has several previous records for similar offences, and police investigations into related activities were already underway at Girona airport since April.
This case highlights ongoing challenges with organised criminal networks operating in the Barcelona area. The arrested woman’s travel history shows numerous entries and exits from Somalia using different identities, indicating a well-established smuggling route.
Meanwhile, the protection of vulnerable migrants remains a priority for local authorities. The swift intervention by child protection services demonstrates the established protocols for such cases within Catalonia’s welfare system.
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