Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Spanish Police Dismantle Network Trafficking Minors From Canary Islands to France

Authorities say the case stems from disappearances at shelters on the Canary Islands.

Overview

  • Eleven suspects were arrested in Operation Tritón—nine in Lanzarote, one in Madrid, and one in Las Palmas—with four ordered into provisional prison.
  • Investigators say the group extracted migrant children from state care to move them irregularly toward France.
  • The network allegedly relied on logistics in Morocco, falsified identity and family documents sourced from Côte d’Ivoire, and temporary housing in Spain.
  • A May 2025 airport check in Lanzarote intercepted three youths traveling with a Mauritanian man, leading to arrests for alleged document fraud and child abduction offenses.
  • Police conducted home searches in Lanzarote that seized documents, electronic devices, personal effects, and cash, and the probe remains active to locate missing minors and pursue international cooperation.