Three alleged members of an Albanian organised crime group bringing migrants to the UK in small boats and vehicles have been arrested following a National Crime Agency operation.
A 34-year-old man from Grays and a 34-year-old man from Dagenham – the group's suspected ringleaders – were apprehended on Monday on suspicion of assisting unlawful immigration.
NCA investigators believe the group has enabled the illegal entry of numerous migrants, charging between £2,500 ($3,195) and £7,500 per head.
They are also believed to have been involved in an incident last August in which a small boat with 46 migrants on board left from the French coast and was intercepted in British waters.
Those on board were predominantly Albanian citizens and included young children.
One of those attempting to make the crossing was a convicted rapist who had previously been deported from the UK and has now been deported again.
Passengers were removed from the boat and taken to a holding centre by Border Force officers.
The NCA, working closely with Border Force’s Small Boats Operational Command, investigated the incident.
Three further events believed to be linked to the group involving a heavy goods vehicle, or HGV, were identified by NCA officers in October and November 2022.
The lorry is believed to have travelled from Coquelles, France, on three separate occasions, stopping at service stations in Cobham and Thurrock to drop off migrants.
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The driver, a 55-year-old man from Belgium, was arrested when his lorry was stopped in Folkestone.
Two other men were arrested on suspicion of unlawful entry to the UK at an address in North London.
All of those arrested remain in custody and will be questioned by NCA officers.
“People smugglers do not care about the safety of those they transport, they seek to exploit them for profit,” said Chris Farrimond, director of Threat Leadership at the NCA.
“Tackling organised immigration crime is a priority for the NCA and we have more than 90 ongoing investigations into networks based here and overseas causing the highest harm.
“As we target callous organised criminal gangs, we will not hesitate to also pursue HGV drivers complicit in helping them.”
