People smuggling

Channel migrants: Six boats carrying 71 migrants intercepted

The Home Office said Border Force and partner agencies dealt with several incidents off the UK coast on Wednesday.

Dan O'Mahoney, the newly appointed "clandestine channel threat commander", said he was determined to stop the "dangerous" crossings.

A Home Office spokesman said the priority was to dismantle the organised crime gangs behind the crossings.

Mr O'Mahoney said: "The minister and I met with French officials in Paris on Tuesday for discussions on how to advance joint working on making the small boats route for illegal migration unviable.

"We will continue to go after the heinous criminals and organised crime networks putting people's lives at risk. Twenty-three people-smugglers have been jailed this year and two more were charged recently."

At least 4,198 people have successfully crossed the English Channel in about 315 boats in 2020.

People smuggling

France and Italy agree to unify border forces to combat people smuggling

France and Italy have agreed to work even closer together along their shared border to tackle the networks of people smugglers operating there.

Both countries' guards and officials will operate under one command to make them more effective. The location for the command's headquarters has yet to be announced.

One major - and often deadly - route for many refugees and economic migrants is across the Mediterranean by usually overcrowded and unseaworthy boats from north Africa and onto Italy's coastline.

Many aim to then head to more prosperous northern European countries, particularly Germany and the UK.

People smuggling

Europe Under Siege from People-Smuggling Gangs

• Current conditions in Hungary are ripe for a repeat of the migration crisis in 2015 and... the country is now in a "state of crisis".... More than 100,000 migrants are now gathered in the Western Balkans and although "the situation is still under control," it is "beginning to look like the big crisis in 2015." — Szilárd Németh, a senior official at Hungary's Defense Ministry, December 1, 2019.
• Illegal immigration throughout Europe continues unabated. In France, for instance, nearly 20,000 migrants have been arrested so far in 2019, according to the police website France Bleu, which also reported that 189 people smugglers have been arrested since January 1.
• In Britain, The Telegraph newspaper reported that Albanian people smugglers were posting advertisements on social media platforms, including Facebook, promoting their ability to get people into Europe. The ads are accompanied by TripAdvisor-style feedback comments from "satisfied" customers.... people smuggling gangs generate profits of up to £6 billion (€7 billion; $8 billion) a year...
• The light sentences reflect the leniency of the Spanish justice system, which appears to encourage, rather than deter, people smuggling gangs.

People smuggling

The booming business for smuggling people to the US: 'Everyone wins' 

It’s only 7.30am but Daniel is already looking stressed. Every few minutes his mobile buzzes and he steps out of earshot to take another call from a client.

A shipment is being dispatched tomorrow, and he is still learning the basics of logistics. “The business responds to the market, and right now, the boss says the market is families,” he says.

Daniel’s trade is people-smuggling, and business is booming: in the morning, 40 customers will head north, and he still has to make sure the bus is ready, the bribes are paid and the fake documents in order.

Migration to the US from Guatemala and neighboring Honduras has risen to its highest level in a decade: if current rates continue, about 1% of the two countries’ populations will have reached the US by the end of the year.

People smuggling

Smuggler uses girls as distraction to help 10 people illegally cross US-Mexico border, officials say

At least 10 people illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in California on Monday night after a smuggler used two Salvadoran girls as decoys to distract border patrol agents, officials said.

The unidentified smuggler dropped two Salvadoran girls, ages 6 and 9, into concertina wire at an “aging” section of the border barrier, U.S. Customs and Border Protection in San Diego said Tuesday. Video showed the girls being dropped from the wall before the smuggler fled.

Border patrol agents responded to the scene and gave the girls medical attention before taking them to a nearby station.

Video surveillance showed the girls were just a decoy to allow 10 people cross into U.S. territory illegally, officials said.

People smuggling

M6 standstill: Man arrested after vehicle filled with suspected migrants pulled over

Police have arrested a 42-year-old man after 27 suspected migrants were found in the back of his vehicle on the M6, causing hours of delays for motorists.

The busy motorway came to standstill between Junction 15 and 16 near Stoke-on-Trent as the emergency services dealt with the "major incident".

Police were last night assessing the welfare of 27 people who have been detained after exiting the lorry.

The driver, who was arrested by Staffordshire Police at the scene on suspicion of facilitating the illegal entry of persons unknown to the UK is being quizzed by immigration enforcement officers.

Drivers have been stuck in their cars waiting for the northbound and southbound carriages to reopen, while others were advised to follow diversions via the A500 to avoid getting caught up in the gridlock.

Staffordshire Police said in a statement: "Officers have stopped a vehicle on the M6 between Junctions 15 and 16 and a number of people have exited the back of the vehicle.

People smuggling

The Mars Bar defector: How MI6's greatest ever KGB mole was smuggled out of Moscow thanks to a chocolate bar, a Safeway bag and a very secret dash to Balmoral

In 1982, more than a decade after being recruited on the badminton court, Oleg Gordievsky was posted to the Russian Embassy in London where he would be made the ‘resident’ — the head of the KGB in Britain. His swift advancement was helped by the fact that MI6 arranged for his immediate superiors to be kicked put of Britain.

It meant that Gordievsky provided a valuable insight into Soviet thinking at a crucial stage of the Cold War.

Three years after settling in London, though, Gordievsky was suddenly summoned back to Moscow where he was subjected to a lengthy interrogation that involved the administration of a truth drug; someone — in the CIA, it was suspected — had betrayed him.

Gordievsky may not have cracked, but he knew the game was up. It was time to activate Operation Pimlico, the daring escape plan already formulated by MI6 in the event of such an eventuality.

But how to get him out of Russia when he was under such scrutiny? The chain of events that were set in motion proves the old adage, that truth is indeed sometimes stranger — and in this case, at least, infinitely more fascinating — than fiction.

In his flat on 103 Leninsky Prospect in Moscow, Gordievsky retrieved a hardback copy of Shakespeare’s sonnets, and soaked the flyleaf so he could peel it off. Inside, he found a sheet containing his escape instructions, which he committed to memory...

People smuggling

Turkish border guards catch woman trying to smuggle herself into their country in a SUITCASE

This is the shocking moment Turkish border guards found a woman curled up inside a suitcase at a customs checkpoint.

The Uzbek woman, 27, was discovered inside the suitcase of a 24-year-old Georgian man at the Sarpi border crossing.

The man, who was not named, was attempting to smuggle her into Turkey's Artvin Province, which borders with Georgia.

Footage shows a Turkish police officer opening the large black suitcase after becoming suspicious of its weight.

A young woman wearing a white t-shirt was found curled up inside after the case was unzipped - and she hid her face as she crawled out.

People smuggling

At least 2.5 million migrants were smuggled in 2016, first UN global study shows

Migrant smuggling occurred in all parts of the world, generated an income of up to $7 billion – equivalent to the amount the United States or the European Union spent on humanitarian aid that year – according to the UN agency that fights drugs and crime.

“This transnational crime preys on the most vulnerable of the vulnerable,” said Jean-Luc Lemahieu, UNODC Director of Policy Analysis and Public Affairs.

“It’s a global crime that requires global action, including improved regional and international cooperation and national criminal justice responses,” he added.

The study describes 30 major smuggling routes worldwide and finds that demand for smuggling services is particularly high among refugees who, for lack of other means, may need to use people-smugglers to reach a safe destination fleeing their countries of origin.

Data suggests that many smuggling routes include unaccompanied or separated children, who might be particularly vulnerable to deception and abuse by smugglers and others.

According to the UN migration agency IOM, smuggling results in thousands of deaths each year.

People smuggling

Ireland and Belgium are the new frontiers in the fight against illegal migration, the National Crime Agency warns

The Republic of Ireland and Belgium are the new frontiers in the battle against illegal immigration into the UK, the National Crime Agency (NCA) has said.

People smugglers are increasingly opting for the two countries because security elsewhere has become effective.

Investigators said Ireland has become an attractive option because illegal immigrants are able to take advantage of the "soft" border with Northern Ireland and then make their way to the British mainland.

Tom Dowdall, deputy director of the NCA said the people traffickers were seeking to exploit the border arrangements between Northern Ireland the Republic.

He said: "The level of border controls, or requirements of border controls, are different to that from others travelling on from other countries.

"We have seen some evidence of that being abused.

"Migrants are smuggled by organised crime groups into the Republic of Ireland sometimes by air, from Eastern Europe and Asia.

People smuggling

Greek Court Jails People Smugglers for 1,400 Years

Four people convicted in Greece of running an international migrant smuggling outfit, have been sent to jail for 1,400 years.

The convictions follow an international police operation which saw 112 migrants rescued from a cave and farm buildings in southern Crete last year.

The U.K.’s National Crime Agency — Britain’s equivalent of the FBI — said the migrants had been charged between €2,000 -€4,000 euros ($2,360 – €4,730) for their journey through Greece which was supposed to end in Italy.

However, the raid instead netted the ringleaders of the gang and on Wednesday two Afghan men and a Syrian national were sentenced to 360 years each.

An Iraqi national received 357 years.

The NCA’s Chris Hogben, head of the taskforce, said: “The criminal networks involved in people smuggling cross international boundaries so it is vital as an international law enforcement community we work together to tackle them.

People smuggling

Europol arrests three on suspicion of smuggling irregular migrants into Germany

Europol’s European Migrant Smuggling Centre has arrested three individuals suspected of smuggling irregular migrants into Germany.

The arrests of three individuals in Romania, Serbia and the United Kingdom, who were suspected of smuggling irregular migrants into Germany on a large scale, followed several months of joint operational work between authorities in the countries involved, co-ordinated by Europol. Police forces took part in a synchronised covert strike on 8 May, which resulted in the successful arrests of the three suspects.

The arrests also coincided with the conclusion of a parallel investigation into the facilitators of the large-scale migrant smuggling operation in the Western-Balkan region, which resulted in the arrests of five additional suspects in Serbia.

People smuggling

Cartels make $500 million a year from smuggling illegal immigrants across U.S. border

Smuggling cartels are making at least $500 million a year bringing migrants into the U.S., Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told Congress on Tuesday, outlining the scope of the problem for lawmakers as illegal border crossings continue to surge.

Ms. Nielsen took a firm stand on the causes of the surge, saying economies in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala are growing and homicide rates are falling, suggesting the push factors back home should be easing. Instead, she said, the booming U.S. economy and lax American laws are enticing the flow northward.

That contradicts the narrative offered by immigrant rights activists, who have said violence in Central America has spawned the wave of illegal immigrants over the past few months, erasing gains made during President Trump’s early weeks in office and sending the rates of illegal immigration back up to the levels seen under President Obama.

“We do face a crisis,” the secretary told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in a hearing called to review her department’s budget and policies.

People smuggling

Ruthless people smuggling gangs are using refrigerated lorries and unguarded private airstrips to bring illegal immigrants into the UK, police warn

Ruthles gangs are using refrigerated lorries to smuggle migrants into the UK, the National Crime Agency has warned.

Organised networks are cashing in on those desperate to get into the country by any means, the NCA said in a report.

Investigators at the 'British FBI' said gangs are making millions from the closure of migrant camps at Calais and Dunkirk which has had little impact on the activities of 'professional' criminals.

NCA chiefs said illegal migration remains one of the most serious crime threats the UK faces, with people smugglers continuing to favour hard-sided refrigerated lorries despite the risk of suffocation and hypothermia.

Organised gangs are also illegally bringing people into the country by air under false documentation, the report warned. 

They may be taking advantage of more than 3,000 small airstrips, many of them with no security or controls.

Intelligence reveals organised crime groups have spent significant money buying or hiring aircraft.

People smuggling

Malaysia busts alleged traffickers who crammed 131 people onto tanker

Australia says Malaysia's interception of a "sophisticated" people smuggling operation shows its tough policies on human traffickers are justified and working.

Malaysia's National Police Chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun announced in a statement on Saturday that authorities had stopped a "modified" tanker on May 1 that was on its way to international waters.

On board were 131 Sri Lankans including 98 men, 24 women, four boys and five girls, who were believed to be heading toward Australia and New Zealand.

Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said they had been working closely with Malaysian authorities to stop people smuggling operations.

"It underscores the fact that this is a significant issue for our country, for New Zealand and for other countries in the region," he said at a press conference on Monday morning,

People smuggling

Trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants, Training manual - Afghanistan

National and international stakeholders responding to human trafficking in Afghanistan, including the Afghan High Commission to Combat Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (henceforth the High Commission on TIP) widely acknowledged, through various meetings, seminars, community interactions, that there is a lack of training material to build the conceptual and response capacity of national stakeholders to identify, refer and assist victims of trafficking (VoTs). The 2016 US Department of State Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report noted that Afghanistan does not fully comply with the minimum standards to respond to the needs of VoTs; victim protection efforts remained inadequate and law enforcement and judicial officials continued to have limited understanding of human trafficking. Furthermore, it stated that the government did not develop or employ systematic procedures for the identification and referral of victims to protective services, although it is making significant efforts to do so.

Various studies conducted by IOM in Afghanistan since 2004, and most recent studies in 2014 and 2016 with the Research Group Samuel Hall, pointed out that NGOs who provided protection services for VoTs suffer from poor capacity and low expertise in TIP, citing lack of clear understanding among key NGOs coordinating services on different roles and responsibilities, a consequence of the absence of appropriate training materials which would build the capacity of NGOs and law enforcement agencies alike. This absence results in gaps on identification and non-referral for services.

People smuggling

Rise in criminal smuggling gangs challenges EU policy

Europe's aim of smashing the smugglers' business model when it comes to migration appears to be struggling to produce the desired results in the Western Balkan region.
Fabrice Leggeri, the head of the EU's border agency Frontex, earlier this week noted "more and more smuggling activities".
Speaking to MEPs in the civil liberties committee, he also said there are now "more flexible organised criminal groups" and "criminal coalitions dealing with trafficking in human beings."
The admission appears to counter EU and national claims on curbing the smuggling trade in general.
Leggeri himself did not elaborate on reasons why.
But he was speaking in the wider context of the new Italian-led Frontex operation (known as Themis), while making the case for a more "integrated coastguard approach."

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.

People smuggling

Albanian police arrests 39 suspected human traffickers for illegally smuggling 1,000 people into Britain and the United States

Albanian police have arrested 39 people in a crackdown in crime rings illegally sending around 1,000 Albanians into the UK, the United States and Canada.

National police chief Ardi Veliu confirmed authorities had identified seven criminal rings in ten different countries which allowed Albanians to move illegally by 'falsifying travel and identity documents of European Union countries'.

These countries included Albania, Bulgaria, Spain, France, the Dominican Republic, Italy, Britain, Ireland, the United States and Canada.

Despite the 39 arrests, 12 wanted fugitives are still at large, including two Bulgarians. 

'Every person paid at least 7,000 pounds ($9,764) to get to the United Kingdom and from $24,000 to $30,000 to reach the U.S. and Canada,' Veliu told reporters. 

Each of the people smuggled paid between $9,750 to $30,000 for the forgeries. 

He said the gang forged passports for those travelling and helped them reach their destinations travelling through other European countries, or through the Dominican Republic or other countries in South America. 

People smuggling

Spanish police bust Chinese trafficking ring smuggling people into Ireland

Spanish police arrested 155 people, mostly Chinese nationals, who were attempting to traffic Chinese migrants into Ireland and the UK.

Authorities in Spain said the three-year investigation was launched after an official at Barcelona airport noticed a significant rise in fake identity papers used by Chinese nationals heading for Ireland and the UK.

The trafficking ring was discovered after five migrants entered a witness protection programme in exchange for supplying evidence against the illegal operation.

In a statement on Twitter, Spanish police said that the arrests included four alleged ringleaders who were detained in Barcelona.