Murcia authorities dismantle disturbing criminal network profiting from the bodies of dead migrants
An Almería charity and a funeral home in Torre Pacheco have both been implicated in the grim scheme
The authorities in Murcia have dismantled a macabre criminal network which allegedly profited from illegally identifying and repatriating the bodies of irregular Algerian migrants who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea. The group, which operated throughout the Region of Murcia, also carried out its grim activities in the provinces of Almería and Jaén in Andalucía, and involved individuals of Spanish and Moroccan nationalities.
According to sources close to the investigation, the network's leaders were arrested on Saturday March 9 by the Guardia Civil, following a raid that included 13 entry and search warrants in several locations. Two of the suspects were remanded in custody without bail, while the other two were released on conditional bail.
The investigation, led by Judge Raúl Sánchez Conesa, uncovered a scheme in which the ruthless gang charged up to 5,000 euros for each repatriated body, pretending to devastated loved ones that the fee simply covered administrative procedures and funeral services. The group's activities were facilitated by contacts within the Institute of Legal Medicine in Cartagena, which provided access to photographs and data on the deceased.
An NGO based in Almería, which assisted families of missing immigrants, was also implicated in the scandal. Its members collaborated with Spanish authorities in humanitarian aid efforts related to boat traffic in the Mediterranean, providing them with access to the Institute of Legal Medicine.
The investigation began when a complaint was filed against the NGO, leading the court to investigate potential fraud, forgery and crimes against the dignity of the dead.
One of the jailed ringleaders, a Moroccan national, has since been connected to a funeral services company operating in Torre Pacheco, but not based in the town itself. Other individuals involved in the scheme include employees of funeral homes in the Region of Murcia, specifically in the cities of Fuente Álamo, La Unión and Lorca.
However, officials from the Virgen del Pasico Mortuary in Torre Pacheco have clarified that neither their establishment nor any other legal funeral homes in the area are involved in the investigation.
In other news: Murcia Airport passengers up by 30 per cent
Image: @salvamentogob
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