Spanish police break up Asian people-smuggling ring

MADRID – Spanish police say border officials in Algeria and Morocco conspired with people traffickers who smuggled hundreds of Asians into Spain across the Mediterranean Sea.

Spanish National Police say in a statement Thursday the Bangladesh-based smuggling ring fraudulently obtained visas to Algeria through that country’s consular services in India for at least 350 people from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India.

The investigation identified alleged members of the ring and led to the arrest of 11 people in Spain.

After flying to Algeria the Asians stayed in houses near the border with Morocco. From there, police say, they were taken on boats to the southern Spanish coast.

Police say each smuggled person paid up to 20,000 euros ($22,000) for the trip.