Three people have been arrested after police uncovered an alleged international forced marriage plot involving a 14-year-old girl who was stopped at Tenerife North Airport before being taken to Italy.
The investigation was led by the National Police, but has also resulted in the arrest of the alleged organiser in Italy. He has been remanded in custody while extradition proceedings to Spain are underway.
The case began on 6th July 2025 when officers at Tenerife North Airport intercepted an adult man attempting to board a flight with the teenager. Police discovered the girl was travelling using the identity documents of another woman who was six years older in an apparent attempt to avoid detection.
The teenager, who was under the care of a residential centre in Tenerife, had been reported missing just hours earlier. Staff and other young people at the centre alerted authorities after seeing her with a suspicious man at a nearby bus stop, allowing police to intervene before the flight departed.
Following the arrest of the man accompanying her, investigators uncovered evidence suggesting the girl had been subjected to sustained pressure and threats to force her into marriage. Police say a man living in Italy allegedly paid money to the girl's family to facilitate the marriage, while another suspect in Spain is accused of obtaining the false passport used in the attempted journey.
Officers also seized mobile phones and important documents at the airport, which helped with the investigation.
