Police smash gang of smugglers suspected of making millions of pounds by sneaking more than 300 illegal immigrants into the UK
- Police arrested 11 people suspected to be part of international smuggling ring
- It is believed the gang made £3m charging for a passage through Eurotunnel
- French and Romanian authorities raided 18 houses on Tuesday, seizing weapons and wads of cash worth £444,000
A smuggling ring thought to have made millions sneaking more than 300 migrants into the UK has been smashed by police.
Officers in Romania and France arrested 11 gang members suspected to be part of a major international smuggling operation made up of 59 mainly Romanian truck drivers, middlemen and leaders.
It is believed the gang, who are suspected of transporting 308 migrants to Britain, made £3million charging £9,700 to £12,800 for a passage through the Eurotunnel or ferries across the Channel.
It is believed the gang, who are suspected of transporting 308 migrants to Britain, made £3million charging £9,700 to £12,800 for a passage through the Eurotunnel or ferries across the Channel (file photo)
French and Romanian authorities raided 18 houses on Tuesday, seizing weapons and wads of cash worth £444,000 (pictured: Dover)
French and Romanian authorities raided 18 houses on Tuesday, seizing weapons and wads of cash worth £444,000.
The operation, supported by crime agency Eurojust, came after French police uncovered a gang smuggling migrants, mostly from the Middle East, using trucks belonging to Romanian companies.
Yesterday a Eurojust spokesman said the simultaneous arrests were part of the biggest people smuggling operation this year.
The 11 arrested were charged with smuggling, participation in a criminal organisation and money laundering.
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