A 26-year-old man from Birmingham has been arrested on suspicion of being involved in a big people smuggling operation bringing illegal migrants from Vietnam into the UK
Cross-border police forces have worked with the UK’s National Crime Agency to arrest people including, one from Birmingham, suspected of being involved in a people smuggling gang helping illegal migrants from Vietnam get to the UK
A Birmingham man has been arrested by a nationwide law enforcement agency investigating a people smuggling gang transporting Vietnamese migrants to the UK.
The 26-year-old from Bromsgrove Street in the city centre was detained by officers from the National Crime Agency’s National Extradition Unit on Monday (March 30).
A warrant for his arrest was issued by French authorities.
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He is suspected of overseeing accommodation for migrants destined for the UK.
He was remanded into custody as the process to extradite him to France begins, and was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today.
NCA officers also arrested a 25-year-old woman at an address in Henry Street, Wrexham and a 25-year-old man in Farndale Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne on Monday.
The woman arrested today is suspected of assisting that group by laundering money.
While the man is alleged to have organised facilitation through lower members of the crime group.
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While French police arrested a further 16 people in and around Paris in simultaneous raids, supported by colleagues from Europol, Eurojust and Belgian federal police.
They also discovered 41 migrants, including 11 who were being housed in one address.
The arrests follow an investigation into a people smuggling organised crime group involved in transporting Vietnamese migrants to the UK in lorries and small boats.
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The arrests were connected to the same investigation which saw five men apprehended and charged in north west England and South Yorkshire in February this year.
All five are alleged to be key figures in a Vietnamese organised crime group smuggling people from France to the UK in HGVs and small boats.
The organised crime group is suspected of facilitating migrants on commercial airlines from Vietnam to central and eastern Europe, before onward journeys to France after which they were moved to the UK on small boats and lorries.
The crime group are believed to hold the genuine Vietnamese passports of those smuggled into the UK as debt bondage.
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Alex Cruise, NCA senior investigating officer, said: “These arrests are a great example of partnership working with our colleagues in France to tackle the groups behind dangerous crossings to the UK.
“Such journeys put those being moved at great risk and undermine border security.
“Tackling people smuggling remains a top priority for the NCA, and this is one of approximately 100 ongoing investigations targeting groups or individuals both directly involved in organising journeys, or those who facilitate that criminality.
“Our investigation continues with the evidence we have gathered today.”
