Five suspects have been charged after a National Crime Agency (NCA) sting uncovered an alleged migrant smuggling ring using lorries to sneak people out of the UK.
Surveillance Leads to Dramatic Stop Near Dover
On 26 and 27 January, officers tracked multiple taxis moving from London to a spot near Whitstable, Kent. Authorities then watched as 23 Bangladeshi nationals were loaded into a lorry.
The vehicle was halted by NCA teams approaching the Dover ferry port. All 23 individuals were removed safely. While one person was detained by Immigration Enforcement for offences, the other 22 were found to be legal and released.
Five Charged – Including Taxi Drivers and Ringleader
- Three taxi drivers aged between 43 and 55 were taken into custody on suspicion of helping illegal entry.
- A 32-year-old Romanian lorry driver was also arrested.
- The suspected mastermind, a 43-year-old man, was caught in New Cross, southeast London, where police seized around £30,000 in cash.
Supported by the Metropolitan, Kent, and Port of Dover Police, all five face conspiracy charges for facilitating illegal immigration. They are due in magistrates’ courts on 28 January in Kent and southeast London.
NCA Warns Against Migrant Smuggling Scams
The NCA suspects this gang was moving mostly Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals out of the UK to dodge border checks. This bust follows their November 2025 alert about criminals bribing HGV drivers to smuggle people inside freight shipments.
With border controls tightening, police vow to crack down on these “dangerous and illegal” trafficking operations.
