Immigrant boat skipper arrested by police in Spain

SPANISH police arrested a Senagalese man for trying to bring immigrants into Spain illegally after a rubber dinghy with 48 Sub-Saharans on board was spotted by a cargo ship and intercepted in the Alboran Sea.

Almeria officers identified the 25-year old as the boat’s skipper as a result of interviews with the 48. The immigrants said he had warned them during the 10-hour crossing from Morocco that if they were rescued to tell police they had all taken turns at manning the tiller and keeping an eye on the compass.

Police also reported each immigrant has paid around €2,500 euros to make the crossing on the on the seven-metre long dinghy.

Police charged the detainee, identified as T.D., with a crime against the rights of foreign citizens.

So far this year National Police in Almeria have arrested eight individuals on the same charges and have dealt with 32 boats, assisting more than 1,300 people.