Gladiator II
£10.99A recent operation conducted by the Home Office has resulted in the arrest of thirty-three individuals, part of a focused effort described as a “Northern Ireland people-smuggler crackdown”. The operation targeted ports and airports in Northern Ireland, as well as locations in north-west England and Wales over the course of three days. Of the arrests made, twenty-five were in Northern Ireland, four in Manchester and Birmingham, and four in the Republic of Ireland.
The primary focus of the operation was on the abuse of the Common Travel Area (CTA), an agreement between the UK and Ireland that allows for free movement between the two regions. The enforcement efforts were not limited to the Home Office teams alone, as they were supported by the PSNI, other UK police forces, Garda (Irish police), National Crime Agency, Border Force, and international partners. As a result of the operation, £17,000 in suspected criminal assets were seized and a heavy goods vehicle was detained at Holyhead Port in Wales due to an unpaid Clandestine Entrants Civil Penalty amounting to £144,000.
Since July 2024, over 60 arrests have been made and more than £405,000 of criminal cash has been seized in the crackdown on abuse of the CTA. Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, emphasized the government’s commitment to dismantling criminal networks that exploit vulnerable individuals for profit, stating that enforcement visits and arrests have increased by 38%. Home Office Immigration Enforcement deputy director Ben Thomas highlighted the importance of the operation in disrupting criminal networks that seek to bypass border checks and engage in illegal activities, leading to the arrest of 33 individuals involved in undermining the UK’s border security.
In a coordinated effort involving various enforcement agencies, the operation was successful in targeting individuals involved in people-smuggling activities across different regions. The collaborative approach taken by the Home Office, along with the support of other law enforcement agencies and international partners, demonstrates a commitment to cracking down on criminal activities that exploit vulnerable populations. The significant seizures of criminal assets and arrests made during this operation underscore the ongoing efforts to safeguard the integrity of the Common Travel Area and strengthen border security measures in the UK and Ireland
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