Joint investigation sees suspected small boat supplier arrested in the Netherlands

Joint investigation sees suspected small boat supplier arrested in the Netherlands

A man suspected of being a significant supplier of small boats equipment to people smugglers has been arrested, as part of an operation involving the National Crime Agency and Dutch and Belgian partners.

The 44-year-old Turkish national was detained at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam on Wednesday 13 November.

He now faces extradition to Belgium to face charges of human smuggling.

He is suspected of supplying engines and boats to cross-channel smugglers, shipping them from Turkiye and storing them in Germany before they are brought forward to northern France when needed.

Speaking after the arrest in the Netherlands, NCA Director General (Operations) Rob Jones said:

"This arrest marks an important milestone in one of the NCA's most significant investigations into organised immigration crime, and it demonstrates the importance of working closely with our European partners.

"We suspect that this individual is a major supplier of boats and engines to the smugglers operating in Belgium and northern France.

"The types of vessels and engines we see used in making these crossings are highly dangerous and completely unfit for open water. At least 50 people are known to have died this year as a result. There is no legitimate use for them.

"This is why targeting these networks and their business model is a priority for the NCA. Working with our partners we are determined to do all we can to target, disrupt and dismantle the criminal gangs involved, wherever they operate."

A spokesperson for the Public Prosecutor's Office of West-Flanders said:

"International cooperation is crucial in the fight against human smuggling, and the arrest of this suspect through close cooperation with our UK and Dutch partners demonstrates our ongoing commitment to partnership working.

"Human smuggling criminals do not respect national borders, and we will relentlessly pursue these criminals through working internationally."

The operation to arrest the Turkish national was jointly co-ordinated through a Europol Operational Task Force and assistance of Eurojust through the formation of a Joint Investigation Team.

Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper said:

"We will relentlessly pursue the criminal smuggling gangs making millions out of small boat crossings that undermine our border security and put lives at risk.

"This major investigation shows how important it is for our crime fighting agencies to be working hand in glove with our international partners to get results.

"The excellent work of the UK's National Crime Agency has been critical to this. We will stop at nothing to root out criminal networks wherever we find them."

The NCA is currently leading around 70 ongoing investigations into networks or individuals in the top tier of organised immigration crime or human trafficking, those inflicting the highest harm, and who are the most difficult to reach. Some of these sit right at the top of the NCA's priority list.

The NCA targets and disrupts organised crime groups at every step of the route, in source countries, in transit countries, near the UK border in France and Belgium, and those operating inside the UK itself.

14 November 2024