The National Police have dismantled a criminal network allegedly dedicated to the labour exploitation of foreign citizens in an irregular situation within the parcel delivery sector. The operation took place in the Alicante municipalities of Elda, Petrer, Monovar and Sax, resulting in the arrest of five individuals.
According to information provided by the National Police, those arrested are being investigated for offences against workers’ rights, facilitating illegal immigration and membership of a criminal group. The leaders of the organisation allegedly imposed marathon working days without contracts and provided minimal pay, taking advantage of the vulnerable situation of the workers.
The investigation uncovered a network operating from an industrial warehouse located in Elche, disguised as logistics companies. From this location, the ringleaders organised the mass distribution of parcels through a hierarchical structure that included intermediaries and couriers in the towns of Elda, Petrer, Monovar and Sax.
The workers, mostly in an irregular immigration situation, were subjected to abusive working conditions, according to the National Police. The official report highlights shifts of up to seven days a week and more than ten hours a day, without any employment contract or registration with the Social Security system.
One of the most striking details of the investigation is the method of payment to the couriers. According to the National Police, the workers received approximately 0.60 euro per delivered package, which translated into monthly incomes of between 600 and 900 euro.
The organisation was led by two individuals who, according to the investigation, directed operations and managed the application used for deliveries. In addition, they had collaborators responsible for transport, local coordination and the distribution of payments.
These intermediaries sub-contracted between 15 and 20 couriers on a daily basis, taking advantage of their vulnerability and financial need, according to the police statement. The network functioned with divided tasks and an organised structure to maintain the distribution activity.
The National Police maintain that the detainees acted within a hierarchical network that used vulnerable foreign workers to carry out delivery activities. The appearance of logistics companies served, according to the investigation, as a cover for abusive working dynamics.
The operational phase of the investigation led to the arrest of five people, who face charges for crimes against workers’ rights, membership of a criminal organisation and facilitating illegal immigration. Following the completion of police proceedings, the detainees have been placed at the disposal of the duty investigative courts in the town of Elda.
The National Police framework this action within their ongoing fight against labour exploitation and human trafficking, with particular attention to protecting victims and prosecuting those who profit from their vulnerability. With this intervention, the police consider a network dismantled that allegedly exploited delivery workers through abusive working hours, a lack of contracts and minimum payments per delivery across several municipalities in the Alicante province.
Other Articles
Torrevieja begins its Virgen del Carmen festivities
