Four individuals have been arrested as part of a coordinated National Crime Agency (NCA) operation targeting an alleged people-smuggling gang in the UK. The suspects—a woman from Moldova and three men from Albania—are being questioned over suspicions of involvement in advertising and facilitating illegal migrant crossings from France via social media. The group is also suspected of picking up migrants from heavy goods vehicle (HGV) stops in Kent and transporting them to London.

The arrests occurred during a series of dawn raids on Wednesday, with locations including Edmonton, Enfield, Gatwick Airport, and Leyton. In addition to these sites, officers searched five cafes across Walthamstow, Chingford, and Dagenham, believed to be connected to the gang’s activities. The NCA operation was supported by the Metropolitan Police and Home Office officials. Alongside these arrests, another two individuals were detained for immigration offences in Edmonton during a related enforcement effort.

NCA Branch Commander Adam Berry emphasised the importance of dismantling organised immigration crime, pointing out the dangers posed by illegal crossings, whether by boat or in HGVs, to both migrants’ lives and the security of the UK’s borders. He stressed the agency’s commitment to disrupting and dismantling people-smuggling networks through collaborative efforts with law enforcement and government partners. The NCA noted that in 2024 over 8,000 social media accounts used by people smugglers have been taken down, and currently holds around 80 investigations into illegal migration gangs.

This latest operation fits within a broader context of intensified UK efforts to combat human smuggling. Earlier in 2024, a string of arrests targeted multiple smuggling networks across the country. For instance, in April, nationwide raids led to the arrest of four men suspected of smuggling migrants via air, land, and sea, involving individuals of British and Kurdish nationality. Another investigation in February resulted in the detention of two Albanian nationals in London suspected of using fake travel documents and airline tickets to facilitate illegal entry, with additional connections to drug supply uncovered.

More recently, a notable operation in November targeted a network specialising in smuggling North African migrants from the UK to France in lorries, resulting in five arrests—including high-ranking suspects—and followed incidents where over 200 migrants, including children, were found in lorry trailers. These efforts coincide with international collaborations such as the NCA’s participation in INTERPOL’s ‘Operation Liberterra II’ in October 2024, which saw arrests of people smugglers and traffickers across multiple European countries, underlining the cross-border nature of these criminal activities.

Operations have also focused on cutting off exploitation within the Common Travel Area, as evidenced by a three-day crackdown in September 2024 that led to 31 arrests at major ports and airports throughout the UK. More recently still, in early 2025, joint NCA and Belgian police investigations culminated in the arrest of six Afghan nationals linked to a smuggling ring moving migrants across Europe.

Together, these coordinated actions reflect the UK’s strategic, multi-agency approach to tackling the complex and evolving challenge of people smuggling. The persistence of these illegal networks highlights the ongoing risks faced by vulnerable migrants and reinforces the necessity of sustained enforcement, intelligence gathering, and international cooperation to protect borders and dismantle organised criminal operations.

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Source: Noah Wire Services