Spanish Authorities Discover African Migrants Smuggled Inside Luggage

Spanish police arrested two Moroccans on Monday for allegedly trying to smuggle in two illegal African migrants into Spain’s north Africa territory of Cueta, by hiding them in false compartments inside a car. According to BBC, police found one person hiding in the dashboard and another in a hollowed-out back seat. Authorities say the two illegal migrants, a man and a woman, are believed to be from Guinea.

The two migrants were immediately administered with emergency first aid. Police say the vehicle was stopped for an inspection as it entered Ceuta from Morocco. Its driver was a 30-year-old Moroccan man and police say the car was stolen two years ago in Barcelona.

Pattern of Baggage Smuggling

In a similar but separate incident, authorities say they arrested a Moroccan woman on December 30th for attempting to smuggle an African immigrant inside a travel suitcase. According to a government spokesman, the 22-year-old woman, who appeared eager to avoid security checks, was apprehended when eagle-eyed custom officials ordered her to open the suitcase.

When the woman opened her suitcase, they found a young Gabonese man hiding in the poorly ventilated space. Police said the man received immediate emergency attention.

Cueta, an 18.5 square-kilometer autonomous Spanish territory is located along the north coast of Africa. It lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Cueta, along with the Spanish enclave of Melilla, are the two Spanish territories on the African mainland.

Cueta shares its western border with Morocco and 20-foot border fence separates the two regions. Over the years, Cueta and Melilla have been popular destinations for illegal migrants looking to get into Europe.

In December, hundreds of desperate illegal African migrants caused a security breach when they attempted to scale the fence from the Moroccan end and climb into Cueta. The incident left more than 50 Moroccan and Spanish border guards injured.