BARCELONA, Spain (AP) – Spanish police have dismantled a network that profited from families of deceased migrants seeking to repatriate the remains of their loved ones, authorities said Wednesday.
Fourteen people have been detained and one person is under investigation in the southern cities of Almeria, Murcia and Jaén following an investigation by the Spanish Civil Guard. Authorities also seized 70,000 euros (about $76,000) in cash and several cars.
For years, the network has profited from accusing families in Algeria and Morocco of providing false information about migrants who died at sea or whose bodies washed up on Spain’s southern beaches.
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The suspects also forced migrant families to sign illegal contracts in order to identify and repatriate the bodies, police said in a statement.
The suspects used fake profiles on social media to lure relatives and collaborated with government officials who had access to unidentified bodies at morgues and funeral homes.
The criminal network, said to be led by Moroccan nationals, falsely told the families of the dead migrants that the only way to recover their bodies was through services provided by the suspects, who would have to pay upfront, police said. Announced.
The suspects have been charged with fraud, leaking confidential information, disrespecting the deceased, belonging to a criminal organization, falsifying documents, and bribery.
Families and relatives of the tens of thousands of migrants who died trying to reach Europe across the Mediterranean often struggle to find, identify and repatriate their bodies. Although some international and local organizations are trying to assist families, the majority of missing migrants are never found and are presumed dead.
Even when bodies are recovered, very few people are identified, and the procedures required for repatriation are complex and expensive, making them out of reach for most people.
In Spain, only 50% of registered migrant deaths in the country between 2014 and 2019 were identified, according to a report by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
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