Five Charged After NCA Busts Migrant Smuggling Ring Near Dover
Five suspects have been charged following a National Crime Agency (NCA) sting that exposed a migrant smuggling gang using lorries to sneak people out of the UK.
Surveillance Leads to Dramatic Stop Near Dover
On 26 and 27 January, officers tracked taxis moving passengers to a spot near Whitstable, Kent. They watched as 23 Bangladeshi nationals were loaded into a lorry.
The NCA teams intercepted the vehicle close to the Dover ferry port. All 23 people were safely removed. One individual was detained by Immigration Enforcement for offences, while the other 22 were legal and released.
Taxi Drivers, Lorry Driver and Ringleader Arrested
- Three taxi drivers, aged 43 to 55, arrested on suspicion of aiding illegal entry.
- A 32-year-old Romanian lorry driver also taken into custody.
- The alleged mastermind, 43, caught in New Cross, southeast London, where police seized around £30,000 cash.
Supported by Metropolitan, Kent, and Port of Dover Police, the five face conspiracy charges for facilitating illegal immigration. They are set to appear in magistrates’ courts on 28 January in Kent and southeast London.
NCA Cracks Down on Dangerous Smuggling Rings
The NCA believes this gang mostly moved Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals out of the UK to avoid border controls. This bust follows a November 2025 alert about criminals bribing HGV drivers to smuggle people inside freight shipments.
With border security tightening, police vow to shut down these “dangerous and illegal” trafficking operations for good.
