Spanish Police Dismantle Smuggling Ring Trafficking Nearly 300 Nepali Farm Workers

Spanish Police Break Up Network That Smuggled Dozens of Workers From Nepal

Spanish authorities announced on Thursday that they have dismantled a criminal network accused of smuggling roughly 300 foreign workers, most from Nepal, and placing them on farms across central and eastern Spain.

Investigators arrested 11 suspects and are probing two additional people. In total, law enforcement identified 322 victims, 294 of whom lacked the legal documentation required to live and work in Spain.

Police said most of the workers entered Spain on tourist visas, including visas issued for other countries in the Schengen Area. After arrival, migrants were recruited and transported to different regions where their labor rights were reportedly denied.

A video released by police shows dozens of people sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on mattresses in a dim, overcrowded room. Authorities say the group organised the victims' accommodation in Albacete, in south-east Spain, where they were crammed into poorly ventilated rooms with limited bathroom access and living conditions described as completely undignified and inhumane.

From that base, victims were transported daily to farms in vans, some of which failed to meet safety standards. Police said one Nepalese national died in a traffic accident during such a transfer. Investigators also allege that many workers went unpaid for months and received only meagre meals while working for the network.

Context

Officials pointed to economic pressures as a likely driver of migration: the World Bank estimates that more than 20% of Nepal's roughly 30 million people live in poverty.

Investigation ongoing: Authorities continue to probe the network and are working to identify all victims and hold suspected organisers to account.