London - British police arrested 21 people on suspicion of
involvement in human trafficking on Tuesday, saying their nationwide
operation was one of the biggest so far against organized people
smuggling.
The National Crime Agency said it had launched "a major operation
targeting a suspected people smuggling, organized criminal network"
in London, north-eastern and southern England.
"The operation is the latest phase of a year-long investigation,
which has involved law enforcement colleagues in the UK and in
Europe," the NCA said.
It said some 350 officers from the NCA and four regional police
forces raided more than 20 properties in towns and cities including
Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Stockton, Newcastle, Hastings and London.
"This was probably the biggest operation the NCA have taken on within
organized immigration crime," Mark Spoors, senior investigator for
the NCA, said in a statement.
"We see this as a significant disruption within the UK against the
organised people smuggling ring, which was predominantly operating
out of Cleveland," Spoors said, referring to the north-eastern region
that includes Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Stockton.
The alleged offences include "complicit lorry drivers running form
France into the UK," and the hiring of drivers from the Cleveland
area to travel to France and collect migrants, he said.
The properties raided included car washes "linked to the organized
crime group," Spoors added.
French, Belgian and Dutch police assisted with the investigation,
said Tom Dowdall, the NCA's deputy director.