Three people have been arrested as part of an investigation into the smuggling of migrants to the UK via small boats, the National Crime Agency (NCA) has confirmed.
A 53-year-old man from Birmingham is suspected of liaising with criminal gangs in France and Belgium to arrange payments and spaces on boats. He was arrested in Sutton Coldfield alongside a 42-year-old woman. A 39-year-old man was also detained in Hounslow.
All three were arrested on suspicion of conspiring to facilitate illegal immigration. NCA branch commander Mick Pope said people smugglers posed 'a threat not just to UK border security but also to those they transport,' adding that disrupting and dismantling such networks is a priority.
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