LONDON (dpa-AFX) - The UK Home Office announced that a crackdown against people-smuggling gangs and people exploiting the Common Travel Area (CTA) has led to the arrest of 31 people in multiple locations across the country.
Immigration Enforcement teams, alongside UK police forces and international partners, descended on locations in the UK including Belfast, Scotland, Liverpool and Luton as part of a three-day operation.
Checks were conducted at major ports, airports, and road networks across the country, targeting illegal migration and disrupting smuggling routes.
Domestic and international criminal gangs often exploit vulnerable migrants, charging them thousands of pounds to enter the UK illegally, luring them with false promises of a better life.
During the operation, 400,000 pounds worth of criminal cash and 10 fraudulent identity documents were seized. These documents, which are critical tools used by people-smuggling gangs, enable them to evade immigration controls. Created by criminal networks, counterfeit documents allow migrants to bypass border checks, trapping vulnerable people in further illegal activities. By exploiting these people, the gangs not only profit but also place them at risk of severe legal and personal consequences.
The multi-agency operation was led by Immigration Enforcement's Criminal and Financial Investigations team in Northern Ireland, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the National Crime Agency (NCA), other UK police forces, and international partners.
This operation is part of a national effort to stop irregular migration and human trafficking at key entry points across the UK, the UK Home Office said.
Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2024 AFX News
