Police bust scheme to smuggle ‘thousands’ to UK in boats

Published July 6, 2022
French police said the network helped at a minimum 250 people per month cross to England. — AFP/File
French police said the network helped at a minimum 250 people per month cross to England. — AFP/File

BERLIN: Police across several European countries on Tuesday launched a major coordinated crackdown on criminal networks suspected of using small boats to smuggle people into the UK, British and German authorities said.

Officers staged dawn raids in Belgium, Britain, France, the Netherlands and Germany, said police in the northwestern German city of Osnabrueck, considered a hub for the traffickers.

Britain’s National Crime Agency said the sting was “believed to be the biggest ever international operation targeting criminal networks suspected of using small boats to smuggle thousands of people into the UK”.

Officers made six arrests in the Docklands and Catford areas of London, the NCA said.

In Germany, some 900 police carried out searches of 36 sites and arrested 18 suspects in an operation coordinated by Europol and European Union judicial agency Eurojust, they said in a statement.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2022

Opinion

Editorial

Weathering the storm
Updated 29 Apr, 2024

Weathering the storm

Let 2024 be the year when we all proactively ensure that our communities are safeguarded and that the future is secure against the inevitable next storm.
Afghan repatriation
29 Apr, 2024

Afghan repatriation

COMPARED to the roughshod manner in which the caretaker set-up dealt with the issue, the elected government seems a...
Trying harder
29 Apr, 2024

Trying harder

IT is a relief that Pakistan managed to salvage some pride. Pakistan had taken the lead, then fell behind before...
Return to the helm
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Return to the helm

With Nawaz Sharif as PML-N president, will we see more grievances being aired?
Unvaxxed & vulnerable
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Unvaxxed & vulnerable

Even deadly mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue and malaria have vaccines, but they are virtually unheard of in Pakistan.
Gaza’s hell
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Gaza’s hell

Perhaps Western ‘statesmen’ may moderate their policies if a significant percentage of voters punish them at the ballot box.