Spain police bust Pakistani gang trafficking Afghans to Europe

Network was allegedly led by a Pakistani since 2012 and had gang members accompany Afghans on planes from Islamabad

MADRID: Officers in Spain arrested 13 people and British police seized a further 11 at London Heathrow airport, as they busted a trafficking network which was allegedly led by a Pakistani since 2012, the Spanish police said in a statement on Wednesday.

Police said they raided various properties and seized records that showed the gang made $4.25 million by trafficking 170 people between April and September last year.

"Most of the network's members were based in Afghanistan and gathered people who wanted to emigrate to Europe, charging them $25,000 (23,000 euros) each and transporting them using fake travel documents," the statement said.

Gang members are suspected of accompanying the migrants in groups of between six and 12 on flights from Islamabad to Spain.

From there they flew to transit points in Spain and Italy, then onward to various other European countries including Germany and Sweden.

Officials then traced the alleged network leader, a Pakistani based in Madrid. The network was exposed after the police arrested 24 people in Spain and Britain in raids on a gang that made $4.25 million in six months from trafficking Afghan migrants to Europe.

"He organised the logistics and reinvested the profits of the crimes in our country, using various businesses to launder the money," the statement said.

Police investigated the network after catching a group of Afghans who were being trafficked via Bilbao airport in northern Spain.

Earlier in May, Spanish police said they had arrested 80 suspected gang members accused of charging Chinese migrants 20,000 euros each to smuggle them to Britain, Ireland, Canada and the United States.