Spain’s police break up smuggling ring

MADRID: Spanish police have broken up a smuggling ring dedicated to bringing Iranians to Spain and then Britain for between 10,000 and 15,000 euros ($10,847-$16,271) per person, the Interior Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

In collaboration with Britain’s Risk and Liaison Overseas network (Ralon), Spanish police arrested six members of the organisation in Madrid and Fuengirola in the province of Malaga in southern Spain, the ministry said.

The group had illegally helped 50 Iranians to travel to Spain over the last nine months through the use of fake visas in their legitimate passports, it said. The immigrants were then supplied with fake passports, sent from Greece, France and Britain, for the final step to reach Britain.