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UK Gang Caught Smuggling Migrants to France
British authorities arrested a UK based people smuggling gang accused of trying to covertly move 23 Bangladeshi migrants across the Channel to France using taxis and a lorry.
Bangladeshi nationals were found by the NCA hidden inside a lorry on its way to Dover ferry port (NCA)
A British based people smuggling gang has allegedly been intercepted while attempting to smuggle more than 20 Bangladeshi nationals from the UK to France in a lorry, in what authorities describe as a case of so called “reverse” illegal migration.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) said 23 migrants were involved in the operation, 22 of whom were legally in the UK at the time. Investigators believe the group was transported from London to the south coast in multiple taxis before being transferred into a lorry destined for the ferry port in Dover. Authorities suspect many of the migrants were nearing the end of their UK visas and hoped to enter mainland Europe undetected to work in the black market.
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The group was intercepted near Dover after being dropped off by taxis close to Whitstable in Kent, according to the NCA.
Shuhal Ahmed, 43, described by investigators as the suspected ringleader, was arrested at his home in New Cross, southeast London, where officers also seized £30,000 in cash. Ivan Garaga, 31, a Ukrainian born lorry driver holding a Romanian passport, was also arrested. Three taxi drivers Robuil Islam, 49, Qasim Jan, 54, and Shamim Ahmed, 47 were detained as part of the same operation.
All five men have been charged with conspiring to facilitate illegal immigration and are due to appear in court. A 23rd Bangladeshi national, alleged to be in the UK illegally, was also detained. The NCA said details of all 23 migrants have been passed to the Home Office, which will determine what action to take.
As arrests were made and suspects taken into custody, the operation highlighted the routine but critical logistics behind organized immigration enforcement. Officers involved in such complex, Mult suspect cases rely on efficient restraint and transport procedures a reminder that everyday operational tools, from secure vehicles to equipment such as the High-Speed Gear HSGI Kydex Handcuff Taco, play a practical role during extended investigations where suspects are detained, transferred, and processed over long periods.
NCA branch commander Saju Sasikumar said the investigation had been running for several months. “Organized crime groups involved in people smuggling risk the safety of those they transport and also threaten the border security of both the UK and France,” he said. “Tackling organized immigration crime remains a top priority for the NCA and this investigation is one of around 100 ongoing investigations into networks or individuals in the top tier of this type of criminality.”
Authorities said the case appears to be the latest example of “reverse” illegal migration, in which the UK is used as a back door for migrants attempting to enter the European Union. In a recent similar case, around 22 Algerians, Moroccans and Tunisians who had entered the UK legally on visitor visas were caught by French border police in Dover attempting to smuggle themselves into France inside a lorry.
Investigators believe migrants from French speaking countries increasingly see the UK route as safer than attempting dangerous boat crossings across the Mediterranean. Albanian organized crime groups have also previously used lorries to smuggle wanted criminals out of the UK, with some paying as much as £2,500 to leave covertly.
The NCA said the latest gang is suspected of being involved in multiple attempts to smuggle Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals out of the UK by lorry to avoid border controls and French entry restrictions. In November, the agency warned that criminal gangs were actively recruiting heavy goods vehicle drivers to smuggle migrants both into and out of the UK, following a spike in arrests in Kent linked to drivers attempting to board ferries or trains to France.
People smuggling networks are known to offer drivers thousands of pounds to conceal migrants within otherwise legitimate freight loads, the agency added.
Editor’s Note:
This article reports on allegations made by the UK’s National Crime Agency and details charges that are yet to be tested in court; all individuals named are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty through the legal process.
