The police operation “FRANCISKAN-EVEREST” broke up a criminal group that transported unauthorised immigrants into the country and used them in eight provinces, including Alicante, Valencia, and Castellón. The operation led to the arrest of 11 people, the investigation of two more, and help for 322 foreign nationals, 294 of whom were undocumented.
The complicated plan involved taking advantage of undocumented immigrants who entered the Schengen Area on tourist permits and then moving them to different parts of Spain. The organisation had multiple branches that worked together. One of these branches was in charge of finding homes and jobs for migrants in Villalgordo del Júcar, Albacete province. From there, they were sent to farms in different provinces, such as Alicante.
People were crowded into beds on the floor, there wasn’t enough ventilation, there weren’t enough restrooms, and there wasn’t enough cleanliness and sanitation. They were then taken to their destination every day in vans that, in some circumstances, did not meet even the most basic safety standards. Because of this, there were a number of traffic incidents, one of which was deadly and killed a worker from Nepal.
The working circumstances were just as bad: people worked up to 12 hours a day, got unfair commissions for transportation, housing, or food, and sometimes worked for months without getting paid, just getting minimum sustenance.
In the last part of the operation, there were nine searches—eight in Villalgordo del Júcar and one in La Roda. These searches led to the seizure of cash, chequebooks, cheques, mobile phones, computer equipment, invoices, work orders, fake documents, records of criminal activity, and parallel accounting records. They also seized 12 cars, including two premium models, and blocked several bank accounts connected to the network.
Because the people living in the organisation’s homes were very vulnerable, the operation included a lot of humanitarian supplies. The Embassy of Nepal, cultural mediators, and Nepalese citizens’ associations were all involved in this process. The Spanish Red Cross also helped by giving food, warm clothes, and finding new places to stay for the most vulnerable people. The Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha and the Sub-delegation of the Government in Albacete are working together to make things right for the people who were affected.
Most of the victims have been moved to places where they have connections, and the inquiry is still going on with more statements to find out if other crimes may have been committed. The Court of La Roda is in charge of the legal processes. It has ordered six people to be held in pretrial detention without bail, and more arrests may be made.
Author: Derek Appleton
Other Articles
No Comment! Be the first one.