Police arrest 3 in Cowley over 'Albanian people smuggling ring'

Two women, aged 27 and 29, and a 22-year-old man were arrested in the Cowley area last week, the National Crime Agency said. Another man, 34, was arrested in Beckenham, south east London.

The NCA said the raids were linked to a wider investigation into a smuggling network allegedly using lorries and hired vans to bring people to the UK from northern France.

Seven people were arrested in connection with the same network last July, including one man arrested in Didcot.

READ MORE: Raids in Oxfordshire as police arrest 7 over Albanian people smuggling ring

NCA Branch Commander Richard Harrison said: “This is a second phase of arrests made as part of this investigation, which we believe will have significantly disrupted a major organised network involved in the smuggling of large numbers of the people to the UK illegally.

“It demonstrates our continued determination to do all we can to stop the criminal gangs who threaten the security of the UK border and treat migrants as a commodity to be profited from.”

Men found in the back of a truck Picture: NCA

All four of the suspects arrested last Wednesday, February 9, have now been released under investigation or bailed.

Police believe the smuggling gang has contacts across Europe; in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. It is claimed that in some cases migrants paid the group between £20,000 and £25,000 to transport them to the UK.

Last July, seven people were arrested in raids in south London, Surrey, Hartlepool and Oxfordshire – including the alleged ringleader of the trafficking gang. Around £30,000 in cash was seized during the raids.

Among those held in the raids was a then 26-year-old man arrested in Didcot on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration, conspiracy to facilitate illegal immigration.

READ MORE: NCA arrest 7 including in Oxfordshire over trafficking ring

At the time, the NCA said that between July and December 2020, Border Force officers managed to stop six attempts to smuggle people into the country when they searched vehicles at the Channel Tunnel terminal near Calais.

The NCA’s Mr Harrison said last summer: “The network claimed to provide a top of the range service and charged accordingly, using complicit drivers to transport migrants in hired vehicles.

“This activity represented a significant threat to both the safety of the migrants involved and the security of UK border controls.”

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

For news updates straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on news@nqo.com or 01865 425 445.