by XINHUA The Spanish National Police force announced on Monday that it has made 72 arrests in an operation which has seen the dismantling of a people smuggling ring based mainly in Barcelona. The organization was dedicated mainly to smuggling Albanians into the United Kingdom and 180 victims, 14 of whom were underage, have been identified, although the police suspect there are many more, some of whom could also have suffered sexual exploitation. The Police informed that the majority of those who were to enter Britain would have done so with the help of false travel documents, which had cost between 4,000-5,000 euros (5,400-6,700 U.S. dollars). Over 100 false documents were also seized in the ongoing operation, while searches at three locations uncovered significant amounts of money, documents relating to money transfers and luxury watches. The majority of those arrested were dedicated to giving support from Spain to those responsible for the network, who are based in Albania, Greece and Italy. 64 of the detainees were arrested on charges of false documentation, while the remainder have been held on charges of favoring illegal immigration. The Police also confirm that those arrested "belong to a criminal organization with crimes related to prostitution." The investigation began after Police noticed a significant increase in the number of Albanians arriving at Barcelona's El Prat Airport on flights from Greece or Albania. These people were traveling on false documents and were intending to continue their journeys to Britain or the Republic of Ireland. Enditem
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