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Reuters
Hague — Police in five European countries have arrested 39 people in a large cross-border operation targeting Iraqi Kurdish gangs who smuggled migrants across the strait to Britain in the EU. Law enforcement agency Europol said Wednesday.
Europol said the network could have smuggled 10,000 illegal immigrants into the UK over the past year and a half and benefited as much as 15 million euros from their criminal activity. ..
"This is the most important operation ever done against smuggling operations across the English Channel, especially with this small boat phenomenon," said Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, Deputy Managing Director of Europol. He said at a press conference.
Police officials said gangsters are one of the most active criminal networks smuggling people from France to the United Kingdom on small boats.
British, French, Belgian, German and Dutch police were involved in the operation.
One of the main suspects, a 26-year-old Iranian Kurdish man, was arrested in the United Kingdom along with five others. Germany arrested 18 people, French police arrested nine, and Dutch police arrested six suspected gangsters.
Police also seized more than 1,200 life jackets, about 150 rubber boats, about 50 engines, and tens of thousands of euros of cash, firearms and drugs, Europol said. When asked about the possible impact of the crackdown, Matt Rivers of the National Crime Agency said: future. "
Official figures show that more than 28,500 people have arrived in the UK after a dangerous cross-channel trip on a small boat last year, and the British government will stop the flow. There is strong pressure.
The government wants to start sending some of the illegal immigrants to Rwanda, but the plan is-widely criticized in the UK and internationally-legally. Hindered by the challenge.
(reported by Stephanie van den Berg, edited by Gareth Jones)
