The home of a senior member of a Syrian crime gang suspected of smuggling hundreds of migrants across the English Channel has been raided by authorities.
British immigration officials broke down the door of the 36-year-old’s north London home and later arrested him.
He is accused of being one of the gang's most senior 'bankers' and is allegedly responsible for laundering hundreds of thousands of pounds from migrants who paid for the crossings, The Telegraph reported.
The man is the 14th suspected member of the gang to be arrested after previous raids earlier this year.
A separate raid on a neighbouring flat in the summer led to 11 members of the gang being arrested.
In that raid, authorities found £150,000 ($201,399) in cash and seized two vehicles.
Home Secretary Priti Patel, who oversaw the raid on the 36-year-old’s home, said authorities were making strides in clamping down on people smuggling gangs thanks to greater information-sharing between Britain and France.
More than 8,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats this year - more than four times the numbers seen in 2019.
“We need French cooperation as well to be able to return them back to where they embarked from. That work will continue,” Ms Patel said.
“But that’s not the full answer. I have spoken publicly before about the need for an end to end approach and the need for changes to the system about how we deal with illegal migration.”
Ms Patel also said murderers and rapists could be banned from claiming asylum in Britain.
She said Britain's asylum system was “broken” and needed reform after 23 criminals who were due to be deported to Jamaica earlier this year managed to lodge appeals and remain in the country.
"This Government will never stand in solidarity with rapists and murderers and we remain committed to removing these foreign criminals from our country. They have violated our laws and have no right to be here," she told the Daily Mail.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
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