Police dismantle human trafficking network smuggling migrant minors from the Canaries to France
The National Police have arrested 11 people in Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Madrid for their alleged involvement in a human trafficking network that facilitated the illegal transfer of migrant minors from the Canary Islands to France.
The investigation, known as Operation Tritón, began after the disappearance of 14 minors from two reception centres — one in Arrecife (Lanzarote) and another in San Bartolomé de Tirajana (Gran Canaria) — between November 2024 and May 2025, according to a police statement released today, Thursday.
The suspects allegedly exploited children who had arrived by boat and were under official guardianship. The minors were reportedly moved without valid documentation or authorisation.
Of the eleven people detained, nine were arrested in Lanzarote, one in Madrid and one in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Four have been remanded in custody on charges including membership of a criminal organisation, forgery, child pornography, concealment, and offences against family rights and duties.
Police say the dismantled network operated through a well-structured system with routes and contacts in Morocco, the Ivory Coast and Spain, using forged documents to move minors to France, the intended final destination.
In May 2025, officers intercepted three minors at Lanzarote Airport who were attempting to travel to Madrid accompanied by an adult Mauritanian man. Subsequent checks revealed the minors were under the care of a social services centre, and the journey had not been authorised.
Searches of two homes in Lanzarote uncovered fraudulent documents, electronic devices and cash.
The investigation remains open, with efforts continuing to locate and safeguard the missing minors and to coordinate international cooperation to fully clarify the case.
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