Spain breaks up network smuggling Syrians, Algerians to EU

Spanish police on Thursday said they had broken up a network suspected of smuggling at least 70 Syrian and Algerian migrants to Spain and made three arrests. The migrants paid the smuggling ring up to almost $11,000 each for trips on small boats from Algeria to Spain before travelling to other European countries, police said in a statement. The boats lacked any safety measures, water or food, posing a "serious risk" to the migrants' lives, while the organization used violence against those who failed to pay on time, it added.