Four people have been arrested on suspicion of immigration offenses following early morning raids aimed at dismantling an alleged people smuggling network.
The suspects include three Albanian men and a Moldovan woman, now being questioned as part of a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation into a gang accused of promoting illegal crossings from France via social media.
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Authorities believe the group also picked up migrants from HGV stops in Kent and transported them to London.
A 31-year-old man was arrested in Edmonton, a 29-year-old in Enfield, and a 30-year-old near Gatwick Airport on Wednesday. The Moldovan woman was arrested in Leyton.
Officials from the NCA, alongside the Metropolitan Police and Home Office, also inspected several locations tied to the group—five cafes in Walthamstow, Chingford, and Dagenham believed to be used by the gang.
In a separate operation, two additional individuals were arrested in Edmonton for immigration-related offenses.
NCA Branch Commander Adam Berry emphasized the importance of disrupting these networks:
“Tackling organised immigration crime remains a priority for the NCA, and the arrests carried out by my officers today are the result of an investigation into a gang we suspect of advertising and orchestrating HGV crossings from France.”
Berry stressed that illegal crossings, whether by truck or boat, endanger lives and undermine UK border security.
“Working with law enforcement and Government partners we are determined to do all we can to target, disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks involved in people smuggling,” he added.
According to the NCA, more than 8,000 social media accounts linked to people smuggling were taken down in 2024. The agency is currently pursuing around 80 investigations into illegal migration operations.
