People smugglers are resorting to shocking new levels of cruelty by deliberately drugging young children with powerful sedatives to ensure their silence during the treacherous crossing of the English Channel, the Daily Mail can reveal.
Exclusive intelligence obtained by UK Border Force sources indicates that criminal gangs are administering large doses of antihistamines, such as Piriton, to infants and toddlers. The sedatives cause extreme drowsiness, making children easier to manage on overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels.
A Perilous Journey Made More Dangerous
The sinister tactic exposes the utter disregard criminal networks have for human life, prioritising profit over safety. A Border Force source stated: "They are giving them large doses of Piriton. It is so they don't cry. It means they are drowsy and asleep for the journey. It is extremely dangerous."
This alarming development comes as the number of migrants making the dangerous crossing skyrockets. More than 1,000 individuals arrived on British shores on Tuesday alone, marking one of the highest daily totals this year. The total for 2024 is now perilously close to the 16,000 mark, demonstrating the escalating scale of the crisis.
Inside the Operation: Gangs and Rubber Dinghies
The modus operandi of these smuggling operations is becoming increasingly sophisticated and ruthless. Intelligence suggests a specific Iraqi-Kurdish network is behind many of these dangerous crossings. The gangs are known to:
- Pack up to 55 people into a single flimsy inflatable boat.
- Charge migrants exorbitant fees, often thousands of pounds per person.
- Use larger, more dangerous boats that are harder for authorities to intercept.
- Employ violent enforcers to control passengers and ensure compliance.
Once at sea, the boats are often left to navigate one of the world's busiest shipping lanes with inadequate or non-existent safety equipment, relying on a single, unreliable outboard motor.
Government Response and Mounting Pressure
The Home Office has acknowledged the severity of the situation. A spokesperson condemned the "morally reprehensible" actions of the people smugglers, who "have no regard for human life and seek only to profit from misery."
However, this new evidence of children being deliberately drugged is likely to intensify pressure on the government to find a viable solution to the small boats crisis. The Prime Minister's flagship Rwanda scheme, designed to act as a deterrent, remains grounded pending legal challenges and political opposition.
As the numbers continue to climb and the tactics of the smugglers grow more brutal, the call for effective action to protect the most vulnerable and break the business model of these criminal gangs has never been more urgent.
