Thursday was a busy day for the Maritime Rescue Services in Almería and Granada with a total of 126 unwanted tourists being ‘rescued’ from their small craft.
At around 15:30, merchant ships notified the authorities about several small boats seen off Cabo de Gata and rescue vessels were dispatched to the area. Three boats were intercepted with a total of 55 passengers on board, two of them women.
At 18:30, the SIVE surveillance system identified two suspicious boats about 24 miles from Cabo de Gata and on this occasion, 37 people were rescued, four of them women.
Meanwhile, a group of North Africans managed to reach the shore at Lújar, Granada. Guardia Civil officers have detained 34 people, although there could be more detentions as witnesses say that there were at least 40 people in the boat when it landed.