MOTRIL, July 18: Spanish police said on Sunday they had arrested 42 Moroccan would-be immigrants off the south coast who were attempting to reach shore in a makeshift boat.
Police intercepted the group some 20 nautical miles (38 kms) off La Rabita in Granada province and transferred them to the nearby port of Motril.
Spanish authorities also said they had intercepted another 31 Africans, of sub-Saharan origin, off Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands on Saturday. Morocco and Spain have launched a joint maritime surveillance operation aimed at stopping the flow of illegal immigrants. -AFP
