Human trafficking gangs have shifted their operations to the shores of Andalucia after the crackdown in Ceuta, it has emerged.
Dozens of Moroccan migrants have reportedly been ferried to the Cadiz coast by jet skis and high-speed boats on Saturday and Sunday.
According to regional newspaper Europa Sur, beaches at Punta Carnero, Getares in Algeciras and Playa de Levante in La Linea de la Concepción have become the main landing points.
Migrants are allegedly dropped just offshore before swimming the final few metres to land and dispersing inland.
The newspaper reported witnessing a steady stream of arrivals on Saturday and Sunday.
Local Police in Algeciras intercepted several groups of migrants over the past 48 hours, with around 10 people transferred to the Policia Nacional for processing.
Police sources said smuggling activity intensified on Saturday afternoon around Punta Carnero, where jet ski operators repeatedly crossed the Strait carrying one or two migrants at a time.
They allegedly dropped them close to the shoreline before immediately returning across the water to collect more passengers.
Later that night, a small boat carrying between seven and eight Moroccan nationals was detected by Policia Nacional drones approaching the same area.
Its occupants fled after reaching shore, although officers detained between four and five people while others escaped.
Residents living near Getares Beach were also advised by Local Police to keep doors and windows locked after reports of people moving through residential streets overnight.
Similar scenes unfolded in La Linea, where a small migrant boat reached Playa de Levante on Sunday morning. Police launched a search after two of its occupants remained unaccounted for several hours later.
Investigators believe organised criminal networks are exploiting the aftermath of the Ceuta crisis by ramping up one of their routes to the Spanish mainland.
Unlike traditional migrant boats, jet skis and speedboats allow traffickers to complete crossings in minutes, dramatically reducing the risk of interception.
The service also comes at a premium, with migrants reportedly paying between €4,000 and €6,000 for a crossing, compared with €1,000 to €3,000 for a conventional small boat.
The shift in tactics has already led to arrests. According to El Faro de Ceuta, the Guardia Civil has detained two suspected people smugglers.
One was a minor allegedly caught piloting a boat carrying 11 Moroccan migrants, while another was arrested after transporting two migrants on a jet ski. Both have been brought before the courts.
The developments come despite the Interior Ministry insisting that reinforced maritime patrols and rescue services remain in place across the Strait of Gibraltar.
