People smuggling

Five steps to reach Britain (for a £10,000 fee): Route revealed as police smash the people-smuggling gang that sneaked 750 Albanians into the UK

An international police operation has smashed a network smuggling Albanians into Britain.

The operation unearthed more than 50 people making millions by sneaking migrants across 17 countries to reach the UK, US and Canada.

Thirty-nine suspects operating in ten countries including Britain are accused of smuggling around 1,500 illegal migrants who each paid up to £20,000 to escape Albania. Another 12 remain on the run.

Four police officers on Albanian border crossings were among those arrested on suspicion of helping the gangs.

Investigators also seized automatic guns, ammunition, more than £25,000 in cash, a cache of forged passports and other identity papers, as well as seals and stamps, colour laser printers and 28 computers used to make the false documents.