Moroccan fisherman ‘forced’ to take five men to Spanish island

SPANISH police have arrested five Moroccans after a fisherman claimed they forced him to make a dangerous voyage to the Canary Islands.

At first all six men were arrested for illegal entry into Spain when their small boat was intercepted off Lanzarote. After the men were released, however, the skipper told Red Cross workers that he was threatened by the group.

Police believe that the alleged victim was tricked into transporting them against his will. They have verified his identity as a fisherman from Tan-tan, southern Morocco.

He told police that some of the men had offered to help him fish, so he went out with three on board. One told him that there was a leak at the front of the boat and, when he went to check it, he received a severe blow to the head. He then claims to have been gagged and bound. The three occupants allegedly seized control of the boat and returned to the Moroccan shore to pick up two more men, then headed to Spain.

The fisherman did not reveal his version of events immediately because the five men had threatened to accuse him of being a trafficker who charged them for the crossing. After his statement, the five men were arrested on charges of kidnapping and intimidation.

A police source said the fisherman was stranded in Lanzarote as the Moroccan border is closed to all entries from Spain due to Covid. “We will organise his return soon. The poor man didn’t want to come to Europe, and he wishes he was back with his family,” they said.