Three teenage Moroccan migrants are found clinging onto a ferry GANGWAY after a seven-hour crossing to the Costa del Sol from North Africa
- Three Moroccan teenagers tried to smuggle themselves into Spain on a ferry
- The stowaways spotted clinging onto the gangway as ferry reached Malaga
- The trio were retained on board the ferry and later taken to a police station
This is the dramatic moment three Moroccan teenagers are discovered trying to smuggle themselves into Spain after hiding on a passenger ferry to the Costa del Sol.
The stowaways were spotted clinging onto the gangway as the Transmediterranea ferry reached Malaga after a seven-hour journey from Spain’s North African enclave of Melilla.
Disembarking was suspended and police, including specialist divers, mobilised in case the youngsters, aged 16 to 18, jumped or fell into the sea.
This is the dramatic moment three Moroccan teenagers are discovered trying to smuggle themselves into Spain after hiding on a passenger ferry to the Costa del Sol
They ended up being retained on board the ferry, called the Ciudad Autonoma Melilla, and taken to a police station to be identified.
The drama happened just before 7am on Thursday. Their whereabouts today was unknown.
Footage showed police surrounding the gangway on dry land as the migrants were perched precariously on its structure high in the air.
The ferry they were hiding on can carry 1,000 passengers and 330 cars.
Two years ago three Moroccans and two Algerians were discovered hiding on top of the engines of a fast ferry covering the same route between Melilla and Malaga.
The stowaways were spotted clinging onto the gangway as the Transmediterranea ferry reached Malaga after a seven-hour journey from Spain’s North African enclave of Melilla
One of the men turned out to be a minor who had escaped days earlier from a children’s centre in the Spanish enclave.
Last week a British tourist told how she was caught up in a police chase of migrants who ran off the beach by her holiday home near Tarifa and up her garden with cops in close pursuit.
One ended up hiding in her outdoors toilet before being handcuffed and marched down to the beach where they had abandoned the stolen speedboat they had used to cross the Strait of Gibraltar.