Human trafficking ring busted in Spain

The Spanish government has confirmed that police have broken up a massive human trafficking ring based in Spain and China.

The Interior Ministry said that French and Spanish authorities arrested 75 people who smuggled Chinese citizens into Europe and the United States.

Police had been investigating the organization since 2011.

Fifty one people were arrested in Spain and 24 in France, including the two leaders who were found in Barcelona. The kingpin was said to be based in China.

AFP reported that Spanish police found 81 fake passports from Asian countries like Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

They also found equipment for forging documents including portable computers, scanners, around 20 fake customs stamps and an electronic magnifier, reported AFP.

The group reportedly charged about $66,000 to falsify documents and transport Chinese nationals via Barcelona airport to a number of destinations.

Some of the migrants had allegedly fallen into the sex industry with the suspected traffickers having links to prostitution rings.

The main office was said to be in China.

BBC reported that human trafficking was an increasing problem in Spain but that the government had recently cracked down.

Spanish police recently broke up two Romanian prostitution rings in Madrid.