Syrian boy smuggled into Spain under car seat

Spanish Civil Guard police carried out the arrest at the border between the Moroccan city of Beni-Enzar and Melilla, one of Spain’s African enclaves.

The 40-year-old man, who was also travelling with his three-year-old son sitting in the backseat, was stopped by police who then proceeded to search his vehicle.

One of the officers found a hole in the car boot, and after closer inspection, came across what felt like a human leg.

After ripping apart the modified car boot – a common procedure among human trafficking mafias at the Spanish border – Civil Guard police officers found a child who was sweating profusely and struggling to breathe due to the lack of ventilation.

It’s the first time Spanish police have prevented a minor who isn’t of sub-Saharan origin from being smuggled into Spain.

According to official sources, people can pay as much as €6,000 ($8,200) to be smuggled into Spain inside a car.

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