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Police control at the border between France and Germany (illustration image). REUTERS / Vincent Kessler

French and Spanish police arrested 29 people on both sides of the Pyrenees. They are accused of smuggling migrants and drugs and have allegedly pushed foreign minors to carry narcotics.

The most popular recruitment sites for this network were the protection centers in Spain, where unaccompanied foreign minors are housed.

Thanks to recruiters, Algerians, Malians, Moroccans and Syrians, the traffickers managed to convince young people from these same origins to flee these centers of protection and carry drugs. These miners were then driven to France, via coaches, full of caches to conceal cannabis and tobacco.

Cooperation between Spanish and French police

The investigation began with the arrest of a Spanish bus driver in France. It was carrying 22 people in an irregular situation including six minors. Then the cooperation between the Spanish and French police allowed the dismantling of a vast network, led by the boss of the bus company, a Moroccan.

Beyond the arrest of 29 suspects including three in France, the operation resulted in the seizure of 33,000 euros and more than 200 kilos of cannabis.