Organised criminal gangs recruiting British HGV drivers for smuggling migrants | UK | News
Organized crime gangs actively recruit British HGV drivers to smuggle desperate migrants both into and out of the UK. The National Crime Agency launched an investigation following a spike in arrests in Kent, where scores of drivers were detained as they tried to board trains or ferries to France while illegally transporting people in their vehicles. People smuggling gangs are now known to target British drivers and offer them thousands of pounds to transport people across the border in legal cargo.
In some cases, drivers have been known to help criminal gangs load people into their trucks; In some cases, they ignored this by leaving their vehicles unlocked in certain places. HGV drivers typically earn around £30,000 a year, so the extra money is hugely attractive to boost their coffers amid the cost of living crisis. But the risk of getting caught means the payouts aren’t worth it, researchers say.
NCA assistant director of investigations Craig Turner said: “We know that these criminal gangs are actively trying to recruit drivers to work for them, promising them a so-called low-risk way of making extra money.
“In fact, this is nothing more than the situation. We have many operations investigating such crimes and the latest arrests have shown that there is a high probability of being caught. Those caught face life-changing prison sentences. It is not worth the risk.
“I am confident that the vast majority of those in the transport industry are law-abiding and I would urge them to report any suspicious activity to the police or Crimestoppers.”
Between July and October this year, the agency, dubbed Britain’s FBI, was involved in the arrest of nine lorry drivers in Kent on human trafficking charges.
The most prominent of these was Iona Monescu, 49, from Romania, who was detained after 44 Bangladeshis and Pakistanis were found in the back of her caravan in the port of Dover in August. He was sentenced to three years in prison in September.
The NCA said it continues to conduct a number of investigations examining criminal groups who use trucks to smuggle people.
On July 17 this year, seven members of the people-smuggling network were sentenced to between seven and 13 years in prison for organizing crossings from the UK to France. Five HGV drivers were also jailed for their role in aiding the gang.
And in June 2023, human trafficking boss Md Moktar Hossain, from London’s Woodford Green, was sentenced to more than a decade in prison. The NCA’s investigation into the crime group saw seven lorry drivers convicted and sent to prison.
Another group investigated by the NCA will stand trial for allegedly smuggling Afghan migrants into the UK in the back of a lorry in January. Among those accused is the driver of the vehicle.
Deputy Director Craig Turner added: “Criminal networks offering services to remove people illegally from the UK often use the same tools and methods to bring people in, making it even more important that we take action against them.
“For them, this is a business and like other hauliers, they do not want to ‘work for nothing’ on their way back to the continent.
“Tackling organized migration crime is a key priority for the NCA. We have around 100 ongoing investigations into groups or individuals involved in this type of crime and we are determined to do all we can to target, disrupt and eliminate them.”
In 2023, the NCA, together with Border Force and the charity Crimestoppers, launched a campaign urging people working in the transport sector to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity.
Anyone with information can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or online via their website. You can find more details here. crime stoppers. In an emergency, always call 999.
