In a significant development in the fight against illegal immigration, arrests have been made in Deptford and Croydon as part of a major joint UK-French investigation targeting people smugglers who advertise crossings in small boats on Facebook.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) executed the arrests, detaining a 23-year-old woman in Heathfield Road, Croydon, and a 64-year-old man at Abinger Grove in Deptford on Monday morning (April 22). Simultaneously, another man, aged 34, was apprehended in Leicester. All three individuals were arrested on suspicion of assisting unlawful immigration and were subsequently charged, appearing at Croydon Magistrates Court on Tuesday, April 23.
Additionally, a 25-year-old man was arrested at the same Croydon address under a warrant issued by French authorities, alleging his involvement in people smuggling and drug offences. He is now facing extradition proceedings.
The investigation suggests that the group was involved in advertising illegal immigration into the UK through social media platforms, particularly targeting the Vietnamese community. They allegedly charged immigrants significant sums to facilitate their crossings.
According to NCA Director of Threat Leadership Chris Farrimond, the smuggling of people via small boats poses significant risks, with criminal groups exploiting vulnerable individuals for profit without regard for their safety. He emphasized the increased susceptibility of migrants to exploitation and debt bondage, highlighting the disparity between the promised better life and the harsh realities of exploitation.
Vietnamese nationals have become a prevalent demographic among those arriving on small boats, drawn by the false promises of a prosperous life in the UK.
Farrimond credited the success of the operation to close collaboration with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and French authorities, who conducted simultaneous arrests in France, apprehending 12 individuals suspected of being linked to the same smuggling network.
Home Secretary James Cleverly commended the partnership between UK law enforcement agencies, French counterparts, and other countries like Vietnam, emphasizing the commitment to dismantling criminal gangs exploiting border vulnerabilities.
The operation underscores the collective determination to disrupt and dismantle illegal immigration networks, utilizing every available resource and international cooperation to combat this illicit activity.
