Small boat smuggling gang ‘dismantled’ by police, says Europol
Police have announced the “dismantling” of one of the most active smuggling rings operating in the English Channel.
Following a year-long investigation by German, French, and Belgian authorities, nineteen individuals were apprehended in Germany.
During raids conducted at 28 locations, authorities seized numerous inflatable small boats, engines, and life vests.
According to Europol, the smuggling network could dispatch eight vessels to the UK daily.
Among those taken into custody were five “high-value targets,” including the alleged ringleader and “principal organizers.”
Investigators disclosed that the network, composed of individuals of Iraqi and Syrian descent with Kurdish origins, procured boats from China through Turkey and operated out of Germany.
The boats were transported to northern France and launched from beaches near Calais, ultimately heading to the southern shores of the UK.
Europol said the gang crammed up to 55 people into a boat designed for 10 and charged between €1,000 ($1,082) and €3,000 for a place.
The agency described the operation as “highly professional” and it is linked to at least 55 crossings.
Investigations into “individuals managing the financial and money laundering activities for the criminal network” are ongoing.
More than 100,000 people have illegally entered the UK by crossing the English Channel by boat since 2020.
The UK government has made reducing the number of crossings one of its main priorities and says the rate will fall by 36% between 2022 and 2023.
