Spanish police dismantle network that profited off families of dead migrants seeking repatriations

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spanish police say they have dismantled a network that profited off families of dead migrants who sought to repatriate their loved ones’ remains. Fourteen people have been detained in the southern cities of Almería, Murcía and Jaén after an investigation by Spain’s Civil Guard. The network made money by charging families in Algeria and Morocco for information on migrants who had died at sea or whose bodies washed ashore in southern Spain, including by having them sign illegal contracts for body identification and repatriation purposes. The suspects collaborated with public workers with access to morgues and funeral homes who also profited from the business.