Spanish National Police officers have arrested 15 international bus drivers in the province of Barcelona who allegedly formed a criminal network to facilitate the illegal transport of foreign nationals between Spain and France, in exchange for payments ranging from 20 to 400 euros. Investigators have documented 12 instances of migrants traveling without tickets or valid documentation.
The police investigation, which began in March 2025, has revealed the emergence of a new form of human trafficking in the field of international land transport, involving drivers and auxiliary staff of some private companies, who, taking advantage of their access to European routes, facilitated the irregular passage of migrants between France and Spain.
Paris-Barcelona route
During the investigation, the agents were able to confirm that the detainees took advantage of their status as official drivers of regular international lines, mainly on the Paris-Barcelona route, to bring undocumented or visa-less foreign citizens into the national territory in exchange for different amounts of money.
A payment of 100 euros was documented on a single trip, so it is estimated that the annual profit obtained from this activity could be around 50,000 euros.
Often, passengers lacked tickets or traveled with tickets in other people’s names. The drivers themselves allowed them onto the vehicles and coordinated the operation with intermediaries located at bus stations. These recruiters took advantage of the victims’ particular vulnerability: undocumented immigrants who didn’t speak the language, lacked social or family support, and had no financial resources.
In some cases, the migrants were directed by individuals outside the transport companies who acted as recruiters, responsible for negotiating payments with the drivers and ensuring the migrants boarded the buses without documentation or with false or manipulated documents.
During the operation, carried out with the collaboration and exchange of information with the French authorities, it was determined that the criminal activity was recurrent and generated significant economic benefits for the drivers involved.
As part of the investigation, police checks were carried out at various strategic points throughout the country, specifically in La Junquera, Irún, Madrid, Barcelona and Murcia.
The 15 people arrested in the province of Barcelona are charged with a crime of facilitating irregular immigration.