A man said by police to be a pivotal figure in arranging illegal crossings by migrants to the Canaries has been arrested in Fuerteventura.
The arrest came after a lengthy probe into the activities of the man, who the authorities believe to be the local coordinator of a highly organised network that recruited migrants in their home countries and made all the arrangements to have them ferried across from the coast of Morocco.
The criminal organisation had a clearly defined structure, with individuals tasked with the various aspects of its business, from contacting interested migrants to putting in place the resources needed to transport them overland to the coast and then by sea. Once the migrants had landed illegally in the Canaries, the organisation also arranged onward travel to other islands and even to the Spanish mainland.
Police pinpointed the hub of the trafficking gang’s activities to the small town of Antigua on Fuerteventura and swooped at the end of May, although details of the operation have only now been released.
A number of mobile phones and storage devices were seized in raids in the area, together with paperwork documenting the activities of the organisation, described by police as highly professional and earning up to 4000 euros profit for each migrant trafficked.
Crossings from Morocco had diminished in recent years but have risen again since the beginning of 2025, among other reasons due to the stepping up of surveillance by the authorities of departure points further south on the coast of west Africa.
The arrested man, whose identity has not been disclosed, was remanded in custody after a court appearance in Lanzarote.
