Lorraine Williamson
Spain’s National Police say they have broken up a Seville people smuggling network that allegedly moved vulnerable men and women from Colombia to Spain using a “travel package” system that left many trapped in debt. Eight people have been arrested in Seville, including suspected organisers, and investigators say they have evidence that at least 22 people entered Spain through the scheme.
Police describe a set-up that sold hope as a product: flights, instructions for getting past border checks, and promises of work. The bill, they say, often landed later — and it could come with pressure on families back in Colombia if payments fell behind.
A “travel pack” sold as a shortcut into Spain
According to the police press office, the group marketed a “pack de viaje” to people in “extreme need”, charging between €4,000 and €5,000. It was presented as a way to arrive as a tourist and stay on, but police say it was designed to create immediate dependency: travellers were reportedly coached on what to say at the border and given cash they were expected to repay as soon as they arrived.
Investigators say the network operated on both sides of the Atlantic, with recruiters in Colombia focused on people living in poverty or with few options.
From “tourist” arrival to debt and control
Once in Spain, police say the Seville-based side of the network acted like an informal job agency, placing newcomers in work intended to clear the debt.
The roles were concentrated in two areas, according to the investigation: care work in Seville province and hospitality jobs in Cádiz province.
In Cádiz, police allege the organisation went further, supplying other people’s documents — belonging to regularised residents or people connected to the group — to enable irregular employment registrations. Those documents were allegedly “rented” for €200 a month, while the legal holders later benefited from unemployment payments generated by those work records.
Threats aimed at families in Colombia
Police say debt was the lever that kept victims compliant. When someone could not meet repayments, investigators allege members of the network threatened relatives in Colombia, forcing some families to move cities and abandon their homes to avoid reprisals.
It is a familiar pattern in exploitation cases: the risk is exported back to the family home, where fear travels faster than money.
Investigators say the trail began with a 2024 case
Police say the breakthrough came after analysing information gathered during a separate 2024 operation against an alleged human trafficking group. That earlier case centred on Colombians exploited in care work in Seville and Cádiz, and it triggered intelligence that pointed to another structured organisation based in Seville.
The investigation is ongoing
With eight arrests made, police believe they have halted the group’s activities — but they have not closed the file. Investigators are still working to identify further victims and to establish whether there are additional suspects in Spain or Colombia.
If you suspect someone is being exploited, the National Police have previously urged confidential reporting via their anti-trafficking phone line and email contact.