Bulgarian customs officers have intercepted 25 inflatable boats capable of carrying up to 1,700 illegal migrants, which were being shipped to people smuggling gangs operating in the English Channel. The seizures were carried out in collaboration with the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Home Office International Operations team.
Two Seizures at Lesovo Border Crossing
The first seizure occurred when five boats were found in an HGV attempting to enter Bulgaria at the Lesovo border crossing. Intelligence was shared through the NCA’s international network. Two days later, on June 26, 2026, a further 20 boats were discovered in another lorry at the same crossing, destined for Germany. Germany is known as a storage and staging post for people smuggling equipment.
Impact on Smuggling Networks
NCA International Head of Region Kenny Dron stated: “Bulgaria is a key partner for the NCA in our work to disrupt the supply chains used by people smuggling networks, and we are extremely grateful for their support and work which led to these seizures. Although it is happening thousands of miles away, this work is impacting the crime groups, making it more difficult for them to source equipment, costing them money and ultimately stopping these dangerous unseaworthy boats being used to put lives at risk in the English Channel.”
The NCA estimates the boats could have transported over 1,700 people to the UK had they reached the Channel. Targeting the gangs’ business models is a priority, and the NCA has seized more than 1,000 boats and engines since early 2023, with over 500 seized in 2025 alone.
Ongoing Investigations and Ministerial Response
The NCA continues to prioritise disrupting organised immigration crime, with over 100 investigations ongoing into individuals or groups involved. More resources are being devoted to this issue than ever before, working with international partners across the entire route, from source countries through transit countries like Greece, Italy, and Bulgaria, to near the UK border in France and Belgium, and within the UK itself.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, commented: “Thanks to the efforts of the National Crime Agency, Home Office intelligence teams and our Bulgarian partners, we have stopped thousands of potential crossings. We are restoring order and control to UK borders by cracking down on the supply of small boat equipment and breaking the criminal gangs’ business model. Under this government, disruptions to criminal smuggling activity including arrests, convictions and seizures are up nearly 50%.”
