In the early morning of 27 August, the Ertzaintza arrested a 34-year-old man on the A-8 highway, passing through Oiartzun (Gipuzkoa). The driver of the van, who was transporting twelve men from France to Portugal, has assured that they are all migrants who are in "irregular situation". They have indicated that the van has been intercepted because it was circulating "errant", and has been accused of illegal trafficking in persons, as they have indicated.

The twelve people travelling in the van have been identified and travellers have acknowledged having paid between 300 and 600 euros for travelling from France to Portugal. The detainee has been transferred to police units and, once the relevant proceedings have been completed, he will be made available to the courts.

Help cross the border between Hegoalde and Iparralde in exchange for money

This is not the first time that such an event has taken place in the summer. In July, a 51-year-old man was arrested in Baiona on charges of helping migrants cross the border separating the French Basque Country from Hegoalde in exchange for money. In Irun (Gipuzkoa), two persons of Saharawi nationality were picked up and transferred in a car to Iparralde, where they were discharged. A court in Baiona sentenced him to 15 months in prison and prohibited him from entering the French State for five years.

In recent months, four others have been arrested for practices similar to those of recent months, according to various sources.