Operation Comby Cracks Down on Smuggling Networks

Hundreds of migrants have been detained in Northern Ireland as part of a crackdown on people-smuggling networks attempting to enter Great Britain from Ireland. This is part of Operation Comby, a UK Home Office initiative launched in April to enhance immigration controls and prevent abuse of the Common Travel Area (CTA), in collaboration with the Garda Síochána. Criminal gangs are reportedly charging up to €8,000 for illegal travel packages, marketed as safer alternatives to Channel crossings. A recent three-day operation led to 35 arrests and the seizure of cash and fraudulent documents, with officers stationed at ports and airports across Northern Ireland and parts of Great Britain. An Iranian man posing as a Ukrainian was among those detained, highlighting the sophisticated methods used by smuggling networks. The operation aims to disrupt these gangs and prevent further exploitation of irregular migration routes.