The Spanish National Police have dismantled an international network specializing in smuggling minors to France, as part of Operation «Triton», which uncovered the group's criminal links in Morocco and Ivory Coast. According to official data, the investigation began after the disappearance of 14 minors between November 2024 and May 2025, 13 from a care center in Lanzarote and one from Gran Canaria. Police found that the network operated through a highly organized cross-border structure with clearly assigned roles: it provided logistical support in Morocco to facilitate movement and border crossing, relied on contacts in Ivory Coast to obtain forged documents, and used Spain as a transit hub before smuggling the minors to France. In May 2025, police intercepted three minors at Lanzarote Airport as they attempted to travel to Madrid accompanied by a Mauritanian man, who was arrested along with a girl later determined to be an adult. Both were charged with kidnapping minors, document forgery, and violating the rights of foreign nationals. In total, 11 suspects were arrested, nine in Lanzarote, one in Madrid, and one in Las Palmas, with four placed in pre-trial detention. The detainees face serious charges, including belonging to a criminal organization, human trafficking, document forgery, concealment, and child exploitation. Authorities confirmed that the investigation remains open as efforts continue to locate the missing minors and strengthen international cooperation to fully dismantle the network.
