SPEEDBOATS dubbed “migrant taxis” are used to ferry dozens of people to Spain with smugglers reportedly wielding machetes to enforce order.
Spanish cops have smashed a human trafficking ring that charged migrants – some who couldn’t swim – thousands of pounds before dumping them into the sea.
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The Civil Guard detained four smugglers following two violent interceptions involving high-speed vessels used to traffic people to the Spanish mainland.
On August 31, officers located 63 migrants – many with serious injuries – on a beach in Calblanque, Murcia.
Passengers told the cops they had been severely beaten, threatened with machetes and pepper sprayed by the smugglers before they were forced into the sea.
Officers later intercepted the 15-meter small boat and arrested the two drivers.
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Just two days later, a 10-metre inflatable boat was detected by police radar near Cabo Cope, Aguilas.
A police helicopter and patrol boat approached the dinghy, prompting the suspects to flee at high speed while dumping 28 barrels of fuel overboard.
The smugglers ignored repeated orders to stop and intentionally rammed the Guardia Civil vessel to avoid capture.
One officer fired two warning shots into the air to deter the attack, but the collision still left three police officers with minor injuries.
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Authorities eventually boarded the boat and arrested the two remaining crew members.
The four men now face a barrage of charges, including human smuggling, high-seas piracy, brutal assaults on law enforcement, and widespread criminal destruction.
Small boat arrivals have surged at popular Spanish beach destinations in recent months.
Just last Friday, 26 migrants arrived at a packed beach with emboldened smugglers bringing the group there in broad daylight.
It is understood 20 men and six women reached Cala Santanyí around 2pm after boarding the boat from an unknown location.
Lifeguards rescued those who had fallen into the water and were struggling to swim to safety while others scrambled onto a rocky headland.
No arrests were reported.
The boat was just one of four intercepted or rescued in Majorca and Formentera within just a few hours – bringing the total number migrant arrivals that day to 75.
Two of the boats were carrying migrants of North African origin, while the other two were carrying migrants of sub-Saharan origin.
The president of the Majorca Island Council, Llorenç Galmés, warned in a statement: “Majorca cannot continue dealing alone with a situation that far exceeds its capacity.”
On Saturday, a further five small boats carrying a total of 72 migrants reached Majorca, Cabrera and Formentera.
According to figures compiled from information provided by Spain’s Interior Ministry and the Balearic Islands Government Delegation, 274 small boats carrying 5,095 migrants have reached the archipelago so far this year.
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