On 3 December 2020, Europol supported the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional), to dismantle an organised crime group smuggling irregular migrants from Morocco to the Canary Islands.
The criminal network, active in Spain and Morocco, was facilitating illegal and often life-threatening crossings from the Moroccan Atlantic Coast towards the Spanish Canary Islands. The irregular migrants crossed the sea in cayucos – wooden boats similar to canoes capable of sailing in open waters – often purchased from those working in the fishing industry in Africa.
Article Link: https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/19-arrests-for-smuggling-irregular-migrants-morocco-to-spanish-canary-islands