Home Office Arrests 33 in Northern Ireland People-Smuggling Crackdown

A coordinated Home Office operation targeting people-smuggling networks exploiting the Common Travel Area (CTA) has led to 33 arrests across Northern Ireland, north-west England, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland. The crackdown involved multiple agencies including the Police Service of Northern Ireland, An Garda Síochána, the National Crime Agency, Border Force, and other UK police forces, working together to dismantle criminal gangs trafficking illegal entrants. Authorities seized £17,000 in suspected criminal assets and a heavy goods vehicle valued at £144,000 related to unpaid penalties for stowaways, while also issuing civil penalties exceeding £10,000. Since July 2024, over 60 arrests and £405,000 in criminal cash seizures have been recorded in ongoing efforts to secure the CTA. Officials emphasized the operation as a significant escalation in enforcement, aimed at disrupting criminal business models that exploit vulnerable individuals and undermine UK border security. Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, highlighted the government's commitment to using all available tools, including new counter-terrorism style powers, to dismantle these smuggling networks.