Four Arrested in Dawn Raids Targeting Suspected People Smuggling Gang

Four individuals have been arrested on suspicion of immigration offences following dawn raids targeting a suspected people smuggling network.

Three Albanian men and a Moldovan woman are being questioned as part of a National Crime Agency investigation into a gang accused of promoting illegal crossings from France on social media. The group is also suspected of picking up migrants from HGV stops in Kent and transporting them to London.

The arrests took place on Wednesday, with a 31-year-old man detained in Edmonton, a 29-year-old in Enfield, and a 30-year-old near Gatwick Airport. The woman was arrested in Leyton.

As part of the operation, officers from the NCA, Metropolitan Police, and Home Office visited several locations, including five cafes in Walthamstow, Chingford, and Dagenham, believed to be linked to the gang’s activities.

In a separate operation in Edmonton, two more people were arrested for immigration-related offences.

NCA Branch Commander Adam Berry stated that tackling organised immigration crime is a top priority. “These types of illegal crossings, whether by boat or in HGVs, risk lives and pose a threat to the UK’s border security,” he said. “That’s why targeting the organisers is so important.”

Berry added that the arrests and property visits demonstrate the agency’s commitment to working with law enforcement and government partners to disrupt and dismantle smuggling networks.

The NCA revealed that over 8,000 social media accounts used by people smugglers were taken down in 2024. Currently, the agency is pursuing around 80 investigations related to illegal migration gangs.

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