Immigrant attempting to enter Spain found dead in suitcase

A Moroccan man suffocated while being smuggled into Spain in a suitcase in the boot of a car, Spanish authorities said. The 27-year-old, who has not been named, was found dead in a car on a ferry in the port of Almeria, which had travelled from the Spanish enclave of Melilla in North Africa.

The car was driven by the dead man's brother, who was arrested at the scene, Reuters reported. When the ferry docked in Spain on Sunday 2 August the man alerted emergency services about his brother's condition, but they were unable to save him.

Figures from the Spanish Interior Ministry in April showed that there had been a 70% increase in the number of illegal immigrants attempting to enter the country in 2014. The figures showed that last year 12,549 migrants were caught trying to enter Spain illegally, up from 7,472 in 2013.

Many attempt to enter European territory through Melilla and Spain's other North African enclave in Ceuta. On Sunday, four Moroccans died attempting to swim to Ceuta.