The Foreigners Brigade of the National Police stationed in Ceuta has arrested a Ceuta resident for housing 74 immigrants in a home he owns in the El Príncipe neighborhood, one of the poorest in the autonomous city. The migrants had arrived during the border assault on July 30-31, and 10 of them were minors and 10 were women.
According to the Police, the immigrants were overcrowded in highly unsanitary conditions, were subjected to violence and intimidation, and some of them were exploited for labor by the detainee, who is facing alleged charges of aiding illegal immigration, violating workers' rights, causing injuries, and child labor exploitation.
Some of the minors, for example, had been subjected to violence and had even allegedly suffered dog bites from an animal owned by the detainee.
The police operation was carried out with a large deployment of personnel, as the property was located in a difficult-to-access area. The migrants had been used to perform various tasks and jobs, taking advantage of their need and vulnerability.
The detainee, who has been brought before the court, kept these individuals housed on the property while waiting for an opportunity to facilitate their irregular transfer to mainland Spain, according to the Police. He was therefore allegedly part of a group seeking to make money by facilitating illegal migration within Spanish territory.
The investigation was carried out thanks to coordination with police units from the Andalusian coast, together with the Prosecutor's Office for the fight against the illicit trafficking of migrants.